Romelu Lukaku has equaled the international goal record of Pele, after scoring a brace to help Belgium defeat Estonia in a Euro 2024 qualification encounter.
Lukaku scored quick-fire goals in the space of two minutes to help the Red Devils record a smashing 5-0 victory over Estonia.
Jan Vertonghen opened the scoring for Domenico Tedesco’s side in the 4th minute before Leandro Trossard scored the second in the 18th minute.
Lukaku afterward scored a brace in the 56th and 58th minute, before Charles De Ketelaere came off the bench to put the icing on the cake.
Romelu Lukaku international goal record
Romelu Lukaku extended his international goal tally to 77 goals, and that has seen him tie football great Pele.
Pele scored 77 goals and provided 32 assists in 92 appearances for the Selecao of Brazil.
Lukaku has found a way to etch his name into an elite list of stars, past and present, who scored 77 goals and above for their nation.
Only 11 players have scored more international goals than Romelu Lukaku, and they include notable stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar, Robert Lewandowski, and Ferenc Puskas.
The Belgian managed to reach that feat in 110 games, scoring 77 international goals and providing 16 appearances so far.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently leads the international scoring chart with a mind-blowing 123 goals in 201 appearances for Portugal.
The football icon has also amassed 43 assists in international football, having earned his first cap on August 20, 2003.
Meanwhile, Lukaku is the leading scorer of Belgium, with 44 goals above second-placed Eden Hazard, who scored 33 goals in 126 appearances.
Eden Hazard is currently a free agent, having left Real Madrid following the expiration of his contract on July 1, 2023.
He retired from the national team on December 7, 2022, after Belgium’s exit from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Lukaku at AS Roma
Anyway, Romelu Lukaku currently represents AS Roma, after leaving Chelsea to join the club on August 30, 2023.
He has reunited with manager Jose Mourinho in Italy, and they are hoping for a blissful time together in Rome.
Lukaku has made one appearance for the Giallorossi, scoring no goal and providing no assist across all competitions.
However, he has shown that he is still in tip-top shape, and he should feature in AS Roma’s next encounter against Empoli on Sunday, September 17, 2023.
The former Manchester United forward has been instrumental for Belgium in their Euro 2024 qualifiers.
He has scored 8 goals in 5 appearances to become the top-scorer of the qualifiers, 2 goals more than the Manchester United duo of Rasmus Hojlund and Scott Mctominay.
Barring any injuries, Romelu Lukaku will file out for Belgium in their upcoming Euro qualifiers slated for October 2023.
Domenico Tedesco’s side play against Austria and Sweden on October 13 and 16 respectively, before rounding up their qualification matches by welcoming Azerbaijan on November 19, 2023.
