Foreign press label Benfica player one of the Club World Cup flops | OneFootball

The Belgian press continues to closely follow Dodi Lukebakio’s situation at the World Cup, with Walfoot including the Benfica winger in a group of “disappointed” players due to his limited use in the international tournament.

The 28-year-old Belgian international is experiencing a World Cup far below expectations, having played just 32 minutes, and was used only once during the group stage of the competition for Belgium, managed by French coach Rudi Garcia.

Before the start of the international tournament, Dodi Lukebakio had made his ambition for the competition clear, stating his desire to fight for a place in the starting eleven. The winger said: “A competitor whose goal is to play and always be a starter.”

Signed by Benfica from Sevilla for €20 million in the summer of 2025, the player arrived at the tournament after a positive preparation period, where he scored against Tunisia after just 17 minutes on the pitch. In the March friendlies, he had also left a good impression with goals against the United States and Mexico.

The winger’s recent journey was also marked by an injury to his left ankle, which he himself described as one of the most difficult moments of his career: “I could barely show what I can do at Benfica,” as he looks to turn things around at the World Cup and earn more space in the knockout stage.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.