Romelu Lukaku has entered the Belgian history books.
A goal against Japan means Lukaku is now Belgium’s record goalscorer, although FIFA is refusing to recognise the feat due to a nullified friendly with Luxembourg (we’re not as harsh).
The Man United striker has scored an average of four goals per year since making his debut in 2010. So where would Lukaku end up if he continues scoring at his current rate?
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Six more years of international football
If Lukaku plays for Belgium until the age of 30, which is a conservative effort, he’s en route to score 55 international goals.
That’s one more than both Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta and Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o managed and would draw Lukaku level with former Brazil striker Romario.
No mean feat, given Romario also scored 1,000 club goals.
Eight more years of international football
Taking our very basic Lukalgorithm and applying it to the next eight years of Big Rom’s international career, he’d end up on 63 goals.
One more than Ronaldo, who was the World Cup’s leading goalscorer before Miroslav Klose outscored him without having to leave the six-yard box.
One more, too, than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, although you wouldn’t bet against him returning to help Sweden at the 2018 World Cup.
Ten more years of international football
If Lukaku can get himself through another decade of international football, taking him to the age of 34, our maths says he’ll be on 71 goals.
Only nine players in the history of football will have outscored Lukaku if he ends up on that number, although Lionel Messi is likely to add to his 61 Argentina goals in the future.
That number is only six off Pele’s total for Brazil. The same Pele who some people will try and tell you is a fraud.
Sixteen more years of international football
Why 16? Because that would take a 40-year-old Lukaku ahead of Timmy Simons as the oldest Belgian international.
By that time he would have helped himself to a mammoth 95 international goals.
To date only Iran’s Ali Daei has been able to get over the 100-goal mark.
We can’t see his tally of 109 international goals being overhauled any time soon.
