Romelu Lukaku was named to Belgium’s 26-man World Cup roster on Friday despite the team’s all-time leading scorer being limited to only five appearances for Napoli this season due to injuries.

Lukaku, 33, has 89 goals in 124 appearances for Belgium, but has not featured for the Red Devils since June of last year. He will make his fourth World Cup appearance along with Napoli teammate Kevin De Bruyne, whose season has been disrupted by a hamstring injury.

“Romelu has recovered, but he’s out of shape, and I’m not sure he’ll be able to start the matches. But he’s our best striker, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer,” coach Rudi Garcia told reporters at Friday’s press conference.

Lukaku and De Bruyne will be joined on Garcia’s team by fellow stars Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel.

Garcia announced his roster on Friday, with notable omissions highlighted by 20-year-old winger Mika Godts. Godts has 17 goals and 12 assists for Ajax this season. Garcia also went with Starsbourg’s Mike Penders as his third goalkeeper ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels.

Meanwhile, forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo received his first call-up for Belgium after a strong season with Ligue 1’s Lille. He will gain experience from the likes of Witsel, the 37-year-old who was included to help balance a fairly young roster.

“The concept of team spirit was important; we needed to stick with a squad that had performed well in the qualifiers, taking into account how the players complement each other and striking a balance between experience and youth,” Garcia told reporters at a press conference.

“This squad is built around playing well and getting on well together. We need to distinguish between our objective and our ambition. Ambition knows no bounds; we all dream of going all the way.

“The objective is simply to finish top of the group and progress from the group stage; we’ll then see who we’re drawn against in the next rounds. We’re not favorites, but I prefer this underdog position, which doesn’t stand in the way of ambition.”

Garcia’s current contract expires at the end of the World Cup, and Belgium is seeking to rebound after failing to get out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Belgium is scheduled to play friendlies against Croatia on June 2 and Tunisia four days later. The team’s World Cup base camp is in Renton, Wash., with the Red Devils opening their Group G play against Egypt in Seattle on June 15. They also will play Iran in Los Angeles on June 21 and New Zealand in Vancouver on June 26.

BELGIUM WORLD CUP ROSTER

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg, on loan from Chelsea).

Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting CP), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton), Koni De Winter (Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona).

Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Matias Fernandez Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

–Field Level Media

The PWHL hired women’s hockey legend Manon Rheaume on Friday to be the general manager of the Detroit expansion team.

The PWHL recently announced plans to expand to Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton (Ontario) for the 2026-27 season, with a 12th team reportedly planned for San Jose, Calif.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the PWHL and help build something special in Detroit,” Rheaume said. “This city has such a deep hockey tradition, and the passion for hockey here is truly special. The growth of women’s hockey has been incredible to watch, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport alongside the PWHL. I can’t wait to get started and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud of.”

Rheaume, 54, made history in 1992 by signing with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and becoming the first woman to compete in an exhibition game in any of the four major North American sports. A goaltender, she also won two world championships with Canada’s women’s team (1992, 1994) and a silver medal at the 1988 Nagano Olympics.

“Manon is a pioneer whose impact on the game extends far beyond the ice,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations.

“She brings an unmatched hockey resume, a championship mindset, and a lifelong commitment to growing the women’s game. Her experience at every level of hockey, combined with her leadership and vision, makes her the perfect person to lead PWHL Detroit into its inaugural season.”

–Field Level Media

Emma Raducanu is reuniting with the coach who guided her to her only career title — the U.S. Open in 2021.

That is Andrew Richardson, a veteran coach and former singles player on the ATP Tour. Raducanu said in a statement issued Friday that she is “grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time.”

Raducanu was an 18-year-old qualifier when she captured the Grand Slam championship in New York. Soon after, she split with Richardson.

Their new partnership begins immediately. Richardson will be in Raducanu’s corner at the Strasbourg International, a 500-level WTA Tour event that starts Sunday in France.

Richardson, 52, most recently worked at the Ferrer Tennis Academy in Spain. Like Raducanu, he is from Great Britain.

The Tennis Podcast reported that Raducanu and Richardson worked together at the academy in April.

Raducanu, 23, has had nine coaches but has not had a permanent one since January, when she and Francisco Roig split after her loss at the Australian Open.

She has not played many matches this season, recently pulling out of the Italian Open because she did not feel well. ESPN reported Friday that she has a “post-viral illness.”

She last took the court for the third round at Indian Wells in March and faced Amanda Anisimova, losing 6-1, 6-1.

At Strasbourg, Raducanu will have the opportunity to practice on the clay courts to prepare for the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, which will run May 24-June 7.

Raducanu will fall from No. 30 to No. 37 in the rankings next week.

–Field Level Media