Romelu Lukaku punched the glass in the dugout so hard at the end of Belgium's draw with Croatia at World Cup 2022 that he removed it from its frame, the striker fuming with himself after missing four clear chances during the game.
Not fully fit to start the game, Belgium manager Roberto Martinez introduced Lukaku into the game at half time. Belgium needed to win the game to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the World Cup, and Lukaku presented their best opportunity to get a goal.
However, during the game he hit the post from a right-footed shot eight yards out in what seemed like it should have been a certain goal, before heading the ball over an open goal from a brilliant cross.
There was plenty of time left in the game at this point, so Lukaku stayed calm in the knowledge he would get another chance.
Unlucky Lukaku finally hits the target🎯 pic.twitter.com/NbAiv5PQO4December 1, 2022
That he did. Another chance came where he failed to get any meaningful contact on the ball, scuffing the ball straight at the keeper. Unfortunately for Lukaku and Belgium fans, the worst was yet to come.
In the 90th minute, knowing a goal would send Belgium into the last-16, Thorgan Hazard clipped a cross into the box. Croatian defender Dejan Lovren failed to clear the ball, which landed directly at Lukaku.
He failed to anticipate Lovren's mistake, though, letting it hit his chest before it trickled into Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic's arms. It simply wasn't the Inter Milan striker's day, and, once the final whistle sounded, he clearly became overwhelmed.
Belgium's assistant manager, Thierry Henry, tried to console Lukaku at the final whistle, who was crying into his arms. His frustration at those missed chances took over, though, and cameras caught him punching the glass out of the dugout with pure anger.
Gary Lineker, covering the game as a presenter for BBC, said: "Oh dear, you can understand it, you don't want to see that. Absolute frustration."
