Romelu Lukaku scored on his return to international football as Belgium beat Croatia 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up match in Rijeka

Belgium forward Romelu Lukaku scored on his first international appearance in more than a year as Belgium secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Croatia in a World Cup friendly on Tuesday.

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The Napoli striker found the net deep into stoppage time to seal the win for Belgium in their penultimate match before opening their World Cup campaign against Egypt on June 15.

Romelu Lukaku had been absent from international duty since September 2025 because of injury concerns and entered the match from the bench after coach Rudi Garcia opted to start Charles De Ketelaere in an advanced attacking role.

The 33-year-old has endured a difficult season at club level, making limited appearances due to a persistent hip problem that has restricted him to just 64 minutes of action.

Belgium took control of the contest before half-time through Youri Tielemans, whose well-taken strike in the 38th minute gave the visitors a deserved lead.

Croatia threatened on several occasions and nearly equalised before the break when captain Luka Modric, wearing a protective mask following an injury, tested the Belgian defence with a dangerous effort.

The hosts continued to push after the interval, with Ante Budimir coming closest when the Osasuna forward struck the crossbar shortly before the hour mark.

Belgium, however, remained resilient and delivered a powerful finish to the match. Romelu Lukaku capped his return with a goal in the 96th minute, registering his 90th international goal and providing further encouragement ahead of the World Cup.

The result offers a timely boost for Belgium as preparations continue for Saturday’s friendly against Tunisia.

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Croatia, who reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, will conclude their preparations by hosting Slovenia on Sunday before beginning their tournament against England on June 17.