Romelu Lukaku’s international goal total: how Belgium’s top scorer compares to Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar

Belgium entered Euro 2024 without much pressure – something that hadn’t happened at a major tournament for at least a decade.

The Red Devils’ ‘Golden Generation’ never managed to go better than third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, despite a star-studded squad that was expected to deliver major honours.

With Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany now retired, Kevin De Bruyne undoubtedly in decline and Thibaut Courtois absent from the team, the weight of expectations is a little lighter on the shoulders of coach Domenico Tedesco and his players.

However, their bid to qualify from Group E still suffered an early blow with a 1-0 defeat to Slovakia.

Their chances of qualifying, or even winning the Euros, could rely largely on the performances of striker Romelu Lukaku, who is by far Belgium’s top scorer and finished the 2023/24 Serie A season with three goals in his last four games with Roma. .

But how does Lukaku compare to the best men’s goalscorers in history, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

MORE: Belgium’s full Euro 2024 squad, including goalkeepers fighting to take Courtois’ place

Romelu Lukaku’s total international goals

As of June 17, 2024, Lukaku had scored 85 goals in 116 appearances, making him the top scorer for the Belgian men’s national team. He is 52 goals ahead of Eden Hazard, second.

Having overtaken Ferenc Puskas in the all-time international goalscoring charts, Cristiano Ronaldo is the only European in history to have scored more international goals than Lukaku, who got on his country’s scoresheet for the first time against Russia in a friendly match. in November 2010.

Lukaku broke Belgium’s goalscoring record by scoring his 31st goal for his country against Japan in 2017, but FIFA did not recognize the feat at the time, since a 2014 friendly match against Luxembourg, in which he scored a hat-trick, was declared a draw after Belgium’s defeat. rules by making too many substitutions.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United striker came third in the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot standings, behind Antoine Griezmann and Harry Kane.

Who has scored the most goals in men’s international football?

Lukaku is one of nine male footballers to have scored more than 80 times in senior international matches. Given that he is only 31 years old, he has a good chance of reaching 100 goals for his country, something only three other male players can boast of having done.

Lukaku is six goals ahead of the Brazilian record holder Neymarbut he still has a way to go if he wants to catch up Lionel Messi and top men’s international goalscorer of all time Cristiano Ronaldo.

Most international goals: top 10 of all time for men

The table below is updated as of June 12, 2024.

*Denotes an active player