Lukaku equals Maradona and Pele's World Cup record
With a brace in Belgium's 5-2 win over Tunisia, Lukaku became the first player since Maradona at the 1986 World Cup to score a brace in consecutive World Cup matches.
Previously, the Belgian striker also scored 2 goals in Belgium's 3-0 win over Panama in the first match of the 2018 World Cup. In the second match of the group stage, on the evening of June 23, Lukaku continued to score a double in Belgium's 5-2 victory over Tunisia.
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Lukaku became the first player since Maradona at the 1986 World Cup to score a brace in consecutive matches at a World Cup finals. |
The last person to achieve the feat of scoring 2 or more goals in 2 consecutive matches in a World Cup finals was Argentine football legend Diego Maradona.
In the 1986 World Cup, Maradona scored twice in two consecutive matches: the quarter-final win over England and the semi-final win over Belgium.
Before Maradona, those who scored 2 or more goals in 2 consecutive matches at a World Cup were also famous names. They included Pele and Garrincha (Brazil), 1986 World Cup top scorer Gary Lineker (England), 1978 World Cup top scorer Mario Kempes (Argentina), 1970 World Cup top scorer Gerd Muller (West Germany) and 1966 World Cup top scorer Eusebio (Portugal).
With two consecutive doubles in two matches, Lukaku is also leading the list of top scorers at the 2018 World Cup, with four goals like Portugal's star Ronaldo.