Romelu Lukaku snubs Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo while naming his football idol

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :August 7, 2025 at 6:26 PM

Modified at :August 7, 2025 at 6:48 PM

Romelu Lukaku snubs Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo while naming his football idol

The Belgian striker names a former Real Madrid player as his inspiration, and it’s not Ronaldo.

Romelu Lukaku has identified his football idol, and it’s neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo. Moreover, he’s another Real Madrid icon.

Despite turning 32, Romelu Lukaku has no intention of slowing down. He actually aspires to follow in the footsteps of the great former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who had some of his greatest years after turning thirty and even won the Ballon d’Or in 2022, right before he turned thirty-five.

Lukaku became a key component of Antonio Conte’s Napoli project, scoring 14 goals in the 2024-25 Serie A to assist his team in winning the Scudetto in his first season.

The Belgian international seemed to have found fresh life at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. This is after a number of disappointing seasons in which he never stayed at one club for very long due to severe criticism from significant sections of the media.

Lukaku reveals his football idol

Romelu Lukaku stated in a chat with La Gazzetta dello Sport:

“Of course, we have the tools to always do better. I have a gym at my house. Messi, Ronaldo, [Robert] Lewandowski, and [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] are great, but my role model is Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or after turning 32. You have to look forward with the right mentality.”

Karim Benzema Al Ittihad — Karim Benzema was an inspiration at Santiago Bernabeu in the post-Ronaldo era (Photo via Getty Images)

By assisting the Partenopei in defending their Serie A title in 2025-26, the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker hopes to improve on his 2024–25 performances. On August 23, defending champions Napoli will take on Sassuolo to begin their title defence.

Who is Lukaku’s football Idol?

The Belgian forward has named Karim Benzema as his football idol.

Why did Lukaku name Benzema his football idol?

In a quote, he said, “My role model is Benzema, who won the Ballon d’Or after turning 32. You have to look forward with the right mentality.”

When did Benzema win the Ballon d’Or?

He won the Ballon d’Or in 2022.

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.