Lukaku was born on 13 May 1993 in Antwerp, Belgium, to parents of Congolese descent. His father, Roger Lukaku, was also a professional footballer who played for Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) in the 1990s
Lukaku started playing football at the age of five for his local team Rupel Boom. He later joined Lierse, a Belgian Pro League club with an established youth academy, where he scored 121 goals in 68 matches