Belgium enter Euro 2024 without a significant amount of pressure — something that hasn’t happened at a major tournament for at least a decade.
The Red Devils’ “Golden Generation” never managed to fare better than third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite boasting a star-studded squad that was expected to deliver major honors.
With the likes of Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany now retired, Kevin De Bruyne arguably declining, and Thibaut Courtois not in the squad, the weight of expectation is a little lighter on the shoulders of coach Domenico Tedesco and his players. However, they are still expected to qualify from Group E with minimal fuss and, once they reach the Round of 16, fans back at home may start to dream of glory again.
Their chances of winning the Euros may largely rest on the performances of striker Romelu Lukaku, who is Belgium’s greatest goal scorer by a distance and ended the 2023/24 Serie A season with three goals in his final four games for Roma.
But how does Lukaku compare with the best men’s goal scorers in history, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?
MORE: Belgium’s Euro 2024 squad in full, including keepers battling to take Courtois’ place
Romelu Lukaku international goals total
As of June 12, 2024, Lukaku had scored 85 goals in 115 appearances, making him the record goal scorer for the Belgium men’s national team. He is 52 goals clear of Eden Hazard in second place.
After his latest two goals saw him climb above Ferenc Puskas in the all-time international goal scorer standings, Cristiano Ronaldo is the only European man in history to have scored more senior international goals than Lukaku, who first got on the scoresheet for his country against Russia in a friendly match in November 2010.
Lukaku broke Belgium’s goal record by scoring his 31st for his country against Japan in 2017, but FIFA did not recognize the feat at the time, as a 2014 friendly against Luxembourg, in which he scored a hat-trick, was declared void after Belgium broke rules by making too many substitutions.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United striker came third in the Golden Boot standings at the 2018 World Cup, behind Antoine Griezmann and Harry Kane.
Who has scored the most goals in men’s international football?
Lukaku is one of only nine men’s footballers to score more than 80 times in senior internationals. Given he is only 31, he has a good chance of reaching 100 goals for his country, something only three other male players can claim to have done.
Lukaku is six goals ahead of Brazil’s record-holder Neymar, but he has some way to go if he is to catch Lionel Messi and all-time top men’s international scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Most international goals: Men’s all-time top 10
Table below is updated as of June 12, 2024.
*Denotes active player
| Player | Country | Goals | Caps | Years active | |
| 1. | Cristiano Ronaldo* | Portugal | 130 | 207 | 2003 — |
| 2. | Ali Daei | Iran | 109 | 148 | 1993-2006 |
| 3. | Lionel Messi* | Argentina | 106 | 181 | 2005 — |
| 4. | Sunil Chhetri* | India | 94 | 151 | 2005 — |
| 5. | Mokhtar Dahari | Malaysia | 89 | 142 | 1972-1985 |
| 6. | Ali Mabkhout* | UAE | 85 | 114 | 2009 — |
| = | Romelu Lukaku* | Belgium | 85 | 115 | 2010 — |
| 8. | Ferenc Puskas | Hungary | 84 | 89 | 1945-1956 |
| 9. | Robert Lewandowski* | Poland | 82 | 150 | 2008 — |
| 10. | Godfrey Chitalu | Zambia | 79 | 111 | 1968-1980 |
| = | Neymar* | Brazil | 79 | 128 | 2010 — |
