Romelu Lukaku, the Belgian national football team's striker, stated that he remembered his late father after scoring a crucial goal in the team's thrilling 3-2 victory over Senegal after extra time on Wednesday evening, local time, in the 2026 World Cup.
When Belgium was trailing 0-2 against Senegal, Lukaku scored the first goal for the team nicknamed 'the Red Devils' in the 86th minute of the match, held in the round of 32 of the World Cup, before Youri Tielemans scored the second goal in the 89th minute to equalize the match 2-2 in regular time, leading to an extra time of half an hour divided into two halves.
During the extra time, the Belgian team secured a place in the round of 16 after Tielemans scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time of the second half from a penalty.
Lukaku stated after the match, 'I believe my father is watching me from above. I'm sure of it,' as his father, Roger, passed away last September.
Lukaku added, 'We showed great courage, and that's what you need in a match like this.'
When the penalty was awarded to the Belgians, Lukaku held onto the ball for a long time before leaving it for captain Tielemans.
Lukaku said, 'It's still a bit difficult for me, so it was better for Yuri to take the penalty. I don't want to win for myself. The most important thing for me is that the team wins.'
Lukaku (33 years old) was also praised for his leadership skills, as when Tielemans and Leandro Trossard were arguing during the second water break, Lukaku intervened to mediate between them.
For his part, French coach Rudi Garcia said, 'Romelu tried to calm both of them down. I liked that; it shows we have a lively team.'