Belgium's Bold World Cup Squad: Lukaku Included Despite Injury, Fernandez-Pardo's Spain Snub Creates Controversy

Belgium coach **Rudi Garcia** has named his final squad for what is almost certainly the golden generation's final World Cup together — and the selections have already sparked fierce debate.

Romelu Lukaku has played approximately **one hour of competitive football** this season. Hamstring injuries have plagued the 33-year-old striker, and his fitness for a World Cup tournament remains a major question mark. Yet Garcia has included Belgium's all-time leading scorer, arguing that "a 70% fit Lukaku changes games in ways other strikers cannot." Critics point to Lukaku's history of tournament fitness struggles and question whether carrying an injured player in a 26-man squad is a luxury Belgium cannot afford.

One of the squad's most intriguing stories is **Matias Fernandez-Pardo**. The Lille forward was eligible to represent Spain through residency but chose Belgium — the country of his birth — in a major recruiting victory for the Belgian FA. His inclusion comes at the expense of Ajax's Mika Godts, who was widely expected to make the squad. Fernandez-Pardo brings pace, directness, and the fearless energy of a player with everything to prove.

This will be the **4th consecutive World Cup** for Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Axel Witsel — a core that has defined Belgian football's most successful era. Courtois returns from injury to reclaim the number one shirt. De Bruyne, now 34, remains the creative heartbeat. Belgium are drawn in Group G with Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand — a group they are expected to win, setting up a Round of 32 path that could take them deep into the tournament.

This is almost certainly the **last tournament for Belgium's golden generation**. After finishing 3rd in 2018 and disappointing in 2022, the Red Devils have one final chance to deliver the trophy that this talented group has always seemed destined to win but never quite reached. Garcia's bold squad selections — betting on Lukaku's fitness, trusting Fernandez-Pardo's potential — will either be vindicated in glory or remembered as the gamble that cost Belgium their final shot at immortality.