In a tragic and deeply felt announcement on Monday, it has been confirmed that Roger Menama Lukaku passed away on 28 September 2025 in his birthplace of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
A towering figure in his own right in African and Belgian football, Lukaku’s death has sent ripples of sorrow across the football world, not least through the hearts of his sons, Romelu and Jordan Lukaku, and the many players and fans whose lives he touched.
Romelu Lukaku, currently playing for Napoli, broke the news in an emotional post on Instagram. “Thank you for teaching me everything I know. I’m forever grateful and appreciate you. Life will never be the same,” he wrote. “Protecting and guiding me like no else could — I won’t be the same. The pain and tears are flowing big time. But God will give me the strength to get myself back together. Merci pour tout Roger Menama Lukaku Vieux Roy … Mon Papa.”
Tributes have streamed in from football associations, clubs, teammates, and fans alike. The Belgian Football Association expressed its condolences, stating that its “thoughts and prayers are with the Lukaku family” following the demise of a man who played a memorable, if sometimes polarizing, role in both Belgian and Congolese football.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lukaku family following the passing of Roger Lukaku. pic.twitter.com/ZosNLseSK4
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) September 29, 2025
Roger Lukaku was born on 6 June 1967 in Kinshasa, then part of Zaire (now DR Congo). He began his footballing journey locally, playing for clubs such as Vita Club in Congo before moving to Ivory Coast’s Africa Sports, where he won multiple domestic titles in the late 1980s.
His performances caught attention, and in 1990 he moved to Belgium to further his professional career — a move that would shape the rest of his life.
In Belgium, Lukaku would become a fixture in the domestic leagues. He donned the jerseys of FC Boom, Seraing, Germinal Ekeren, KV Mechelen, and KV Ostend, making a reputation as a strong centre-forward.
Across Belgian top-flight matches, he is credited with scoring 47 goals in some 135 appearances. Outside Belgium, he also had a stint in Turkey with Gençlerbirliği.
On the international stage, Roger represented Zaire (now DR Congo) in the 1994 and 1996 African Cup of Nations tournaments. Over his national team career, he earned multiple caps and sought to lift his homeland’s footballing status during a period of great change in Central Africa.
While on the field he earned respect, off it, his life was not without controversy and hardship. In 2013, he was convicted for assaulting a woman; the conviction led to a sentence that reportedly included 120 hours of community service.
At various moments, his relationship with his sons was said to be strained, though that does not diminish his undeniable influence on their lives and careers.
Even during turbulent times, Roger’s role in shaping his sons’ paths in football remained central. Romelu has often spoken of his father’s strictness, his insistence that his sons keep up with education while pursuing sports, and the lessons in discipline and ambition he instilled. As Romelu once remarked, “My father told me, ‘You must always have a goal and do everything to reach it.’”
The younger Lukaku’s recollections from childhood also reflect both gratitude and the weight of promise. In an early interview, he recounted a moment with his grandfather just before his passing: “One day I called up my grandfather … he said, ‘Can you look after my daughter, please?’ … Five days later he passed away, and I understood what he really meant.”
In recent years, Roger Lukaku had largely receded from public life, but his name often resurfaced in discussions of his sons, the sacrifices he had made, and the fraught but enduring connection they shared. Jordan Lukaku, who also pursued a professional career in football, similarly bore the imprint of his father’s influence.