Romelu Lukaku could not hide his frustration after playing a central role in Belgium’s early elimination from the World Cup in Qatar.
Fifa’s second-ranked team and third-place finishers in Russia four years ago were ousted before the round of 16 on Thursday, unable to break a stalemate with Croatia, who went through as Group F runners-up after Morocco’s win over Canada.
It was a significant failure by much-fancied and always-hyped Belgium, who once again struggled to turn their litany of individual star talent into a cohesive and effective team unit.
Such a shambles is likely to herald a transition away from the Red Devils’ so-called ‘golden generation’, while head coach Roberto Martinez has already announced that he will be stepping down after six years in charge.
A prominent member of that golden generation that has failed to deliver Belgium a major trophy despite their glittering array of players is Lukaku, who will be left with no shortage of regrets after his part in their failure to score the goal against Croatia that would have rescued their World Cup campaign.
Introduced as a half-time substitute in place of Dries Mertens, Chelsea’s Inter Milan loanee spurned a hatful of golden opportunities to break the deadlock in the second period, hitting the woodwork and firing both wide and straight at Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
It raised further questions over Lukaku’s fitness, with Belgium’s all-time top scorer and sixth most-capped player having arrived at the World Cup with a thigh injury and having missed the undeserved win over Canada altogether before being restricted to a late cameo off the bench in the decisive defeat by Morocco.
Romelu Lukaku took his frustration out on the dugout at full-time 😡#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/AJXwxBXbBR
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 1, 2022
It also continued a difficult career stretch for the 29-year-old, who was sent back on loan to Inter just a year after returning to Chelsea in a club-record £97.5million transfer in the summer of 2021.
Lukaku has managed just five appearances at club level so far this season amid his fitness struggles, scoring twice under Simone Inzaghi.
And the former Manchester United frontman could not disguise his upset after Belgium’s humiliating World Cup exit, breaking into floods of tears in heartbreaking scenes and being consoled by members of the coaching staff including assistant Thierry Henry.
Television cameras then picked up a distraught Lukaku smashing the dugout window with one punch before heading off down the tunnel.
