Romelu Lukaku: 5 Things To Know About The Soccer Player Linked To Megan Thee Stallion

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• Romelu Lukaku is a Belgian soccer/football star known for playing for Inter Milan and Chelsea.
• He is Belgium’s all-time goal scorer, with 72 goals for the national team.
• In 2023, he made headlines when he held Megan Thee Stallion’s hand at a wedding.

Megan Thee Stallion seems to have a new man in her life, and his name is Romelu Lukaku. Over the weekend, Meg, 28, was spotted attending the wedding of Lautaro Martínez, Lukaku’s Inter Milan teammate, and Augustina Gandolfo, sitting next to Romelu at the reception and, at one point, holding hands with the Belgian striker. This was the first indication of a potential romance between them, catching much of the Internet off-guard and asking, “What happened to Pardison “Pardi” Fontaine?”

As of May 31, Megan, Romelu, nor Pardi, 33, have spoken about the situation. Meg and Pardi began dating in 2020, shortly before she was shot by Torey Lanez. Megan reportedly unfollowed Pardi on Instagram in February, per XXL, sparking speculation that their relationship was on the rocks. As for Romelu, on May 31, he posted an Instagram Story of him playing “Leave It Up To Me,” the song by Jay Worthy, Larry June, and LNDN DRGS. Romelu included an emoji of a man meditating. Whether this had anything to do with the recent press over his seemingly new relationship is up for speculation.

Here’s what you need to know about Meg’s new man.

Romelu Lukaku Is A Professional Soccer/Football Player.

Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli (b. May 13, 1993) is a Belgian soccer/football player. He was born in Antwerp, Belgium, to Congolese parents. His father is Roger Lukaku, a professional soccer/football player who played for a series of Belgium clubs throughout his career.

As the son of a professional player, Romelu was already in the spotlight, with scouts seeing if he inherited his father’s talents. When he turned 16 in 2009, Romelu signed a professional contract with Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht – aka Anderlecht – and soon began playing for the team. In 2011, Romelu joined Chelsea of England’s Premier League. Over the next eight years, he stayed in the English football system, playing for West Bromwich, Everton, and Manchester United.

In 2019, he joined Inter Milan for two seasons. He returned to Chelsea in 2021, and in 2022, Chelsea loaned Lukaku back to Inter Milan for the 2022-23 season.

He Grew Up Broke…

Despite being the son of a professional football player, Romelu was far from wealthy. “I remember the exact moment I knew we were broke. I can still picture my mum at the refrigerator and the look on her face,” he wrote for the Players’ Tribune in 2018. “Then this one day, I came home, and I walked into the kitchen, and I saw my mum at the refrigerator with the box of milk, like normal. But this time she was mixing something in with it. She was shaking it all up, you know? … She was mixing water in with the milk. We didn’t have enough money to make it last the whole week. We were broke. Not just poor, but broke.”

“I kept my promise to myself for a while,” he wrote. “But then, some days, I’d come home from school and find my mum crying. So I finally told her one day, ‘Mum, it’s gonna change. You’ll see. I’m going to play football for Anderlecht, and it’s going to happen soon. We’ll be good. You won’t have to worry anymore.’ I was six.”

…Which Motivated Him To Greatness.

“Let me tell you something — every game I ever played was a Final,” he wrote in the Players’ Tribune. When I played in the park, it was a Final. When I played during break in kindergarten, it was a Final. I’m dead-ass serious. I used to try to tear the cover off the ball every time I shot it. Full power. We weren’t hitting R1, bro. No finesse shot. I didn’t have the new FIFA. I didn’t have a PlayStation. I wasn’t playing around. I was trying to kill you.”

“I wanted to be the best footballer in Belgian history,” he added. “That was my goal. Not good. Not great. The best. I played with so much anger, because of a lot of things … because of the rats running around in our apartment … because I couldn’t watch the Champions League … because of how the other parents used to look at me.”

When he was 12, he scored 76 goals in 34 games. He did so while “wearing my dad’s shoes. Once our feet got to be the same size, we used to share.” Eleven days after he turned 16, he signed with Anderlecht, fulfilling his promise to his mother.

He Got In Trouble Over A 2021 Interview…

In December 2021, Romelu sat down with Sky Sports/Sky Italia to discuss his situation with Chelsea. He re-signed with the club for a club-record £97.5m ($120m) and scored seven goals in 18 appearances. An ankle strain and a case of COVID-19 hampered him, but he told Sky Sports that, “physically, I’m doing great. I’m just not very happy with the situation, but that’s normal.”

“I think the boss has decided to play a different formation but I have to stick at it and get on with it professionally,” he said, referencing GM Thomas Tuchel, who is regarded as a tactical innovator and one of the best coaches.

“I don’t think any of it should have happened the way it did,” Lukaku said of his departure from Inter Milan. “The way I left Inter and the way I communicated with the Inter fans. I’m annoyed about that because it’s not the right time now but it wasn’t the right time when I left either. I always said that I love Inter and I’ll play for them again. I really hope so. I fell in love with Italy.”

The interview upset Chelsea fans, who were mad that Lukaku was already looking to play for Inter Milan (something which eventually happened.) However, as SB Nation pointed out, some of the context was lost in the interview. “Physically, I am fine. But I’m NOT happy with the situation at Chelsea,” Lukaku said. “Tuchel has chosen to play with another system – I won’t give up, I’ll be professional. I am not happy with the situation, but I am professional – and I can’t give up now.”

…For Which He Apologized.

Shortly after Chelsea supporter got their pitchforks and torches out, Romelu Lukaku apologized. “I am sorry for the upset I have caused,” he told Chelsea TV, per CNN. “You guys know the connection I have to the club, and I totally understand you guys being upset. I should have been much clearer in my message. The interview was about saying goodbye to the Inter fans, and it wasn’t about trying to disrespect the [Chelsea] fans, my teammates, the club, and the manager.”

“They made a lot of effort to bring me here, and I wanted to come back,” he said. “I have been on a mission since I left, so I totally understand the frustration of the fans, but now, it is on me to make sure I show my commitment 100%.”

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