1. Early life and background
Dodi Lukebakio Ngandoli was born on September 24, 1997, in Asse, Belgium. He stands 74 in (187 cm) tall and weighs 176 lb (80 kg). Lukebakio is of Congolese descent.
2. Club career
Dodi Lukebakio Ngandoli's professional football journey began in Belgium, leading him through various clubs in different European leagues, often involving loan spells that helped him gain experience and refine his skills before solidifying his place at top-tier clubs.
2.1. RSC Anderlecht
Lukebakio started his youth career at Anderlecht before making his professional debut for the club on October 25, 2015. He entered the Belgian First Division A match against Club Brugge in the 79th minute as a substitute for Youri Tielemans, contributing to Anderlecht's 3-1 victory. On December 7, 2015, he signed a new five-year contract with the club. Three days later, on December 10, he made his UEFA Europa League debut, coming on as a substitute for Imoh Ezekiel in the 66th minute of a 2-1 win against Qarabağ FK. Lukebakio played his first full match for Anderlecht on January 29, 2016, in a 2-1 away victory over Sint-Truden. He scored his first goal for the club on February 28, 2016, an equalizer in the 74th minute, after replacing Alexander Büttner during a 3-3 draw against Standard Liège.
2.2. Loan spells
To further his development and gain more playing time, Lukebakio embarked on several loan spells, providing him with valuable experience in different leagues and playing environments.
2.2.1. Toulouse (loan)
On August 31, 2016, Lukebakio signed with French club Toulouse FC for a loan period. His debut for Toulouse came on January 8, 2017, in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France, where he was introduced as a substitute for Ola Toivonen in the 58th minute of a 2-1 home defeat against Olympique de Marseille. He subsequently made his Ligue 1 debut on January 14, 2017, replacing Issiaga Sylla in the 56th minute of a 1-0 defeat against Nantes. Lukebakio concluded his loan at Toulouse with five appearances, all as a substitute.
2.2.2. Sporting Charleroi (loan)
Lukebakio moved to Belgian club Charleroi on a season-long loan deal on July 2, 2017. He made his debut for Charleroi on July 29 in a Belgian First Division A match against Kortrijk, which resulted in a 1-0 home victory for Charleroi. On August 5, he scored his first two goals for the club in a match against Royal Excel Mouscron, helping Charleroi secure a 5-2 away win. His third goal for the team was scored on November 5, 2017, in the 71st minute of a 3-1 away win over Antwerp.
2.3. Watford
On January 30, 2018, Lukebakio transferred to English club Watford, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. He made his Premier League debut on February 10, 2018, during Watford's 2-0 away defeat to West Ham United.
2.4. Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan)
On July 23, 2018, Lukebakio joined German side Fortuna Düsseldorf on a loan deal for the 2018-19 season. This loan did not include a purchase option. On November 24, 2018, he achieved a significant feat by becoming the first player in Bundesliga history to score three goals against Manuel Neuer in a single match, securing a 3-3 draw against Bayern Munich. The following month, he continued his impressive form, scoring a goal in a 2-1 victory against Borussia Dortmund, which marked Dortmund's first league defeat of the season.
2.5. Hertha BSC
Lukebakio transferred to Hertha BSC on August 1, 2019, signing a long-term contract with the German club. He quickly made an impact, scoring Hertha's first goal of the 2019-20 Bundesliga season in the team's opening match against Bayern Munich, which ended in a 2-2 draw.
2.6. VfL Wolfsburg (loan)
On August 30, 2021, Lukebakio was loaned to fellow German club VfL Wolfsburg for a one-year period.
2.7. Sevilla
Lukebakio joined Spanish La Liga club Sevilla FC on August 24, 2023, signing a five-year contract. He made an immediate impact, scoring a goal on his club debut on September 17, 2023, which secured a 1-0 victory over Las Palmas.
3. International career
Born in Belgium to parents of Congolese descent, Dodi Lukebakio initially represented the DR Congo national football team. He made his debut for the DR Congo national team in a friendly match on October 4, 2016, a 1-0 loss to the Kenya national team.
Subsequently, Lukebakio switched his international allegiance to represent the Belgium U21 side, for whom he made 17 appearances and scored 4 goals. In October 2020, he received his first call-up to the senior Belgium national football team for a friendly match against the Ivory Coast on October 8, and for UEFA Nations League matches against England on October 11 and Iceland on October 14, 2020. On October 14, 2023, Lukebakio scored his first two senior international goals for Belgium in a 3-2 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying victory over Austria.
4. Career statistics
Lukebakio's career statistics reflect his consistent presence and contributions across various leagues and competitions.
4.1. Club
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition. The national cup column includes appearances in the Coupe de France, Belgian Cup, DFB-Pokal, and Copa del Rey.
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Anderlecht | 2015-16 | Belgian Pro League | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Toulouse (loan) | 2016-17 | Ligue 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |
| Toulouse II (loan) | 2016-17 | CFA 2 | 6 | 3 | - | - | 6 | 3 | ||
| Sporting Charleroi (loan) | 2017-18 | Belgian Pro League | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 20 | 3 | |
| Watford | 2017-18 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Fortuna Düsseldorf (loan) | 2018-19 | Bundesliga | 31 | 10 | 3 | 4 | - | 34 | 14 | |
| Hertha BSC | 2019-20 | Bundesliga | 30 | 7 | 3 | 1 | - | 33 | 8 | |
| 2020-21 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 2 | - | 30 | 7 | |||
| 2021-22 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2022-23 | 32 | 11 | 1 | 1 | - | 33 | 12 | |||
| Total | 94 | 24 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 28 | ||
| VfL Wolfsburg (loan) | 2021-22 | Bundesliga | 19 | 1 | - | 6 | 0 | 25 | 1 | |
| Sevilla | 2023-24 | La Liga | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 0 | - | 27 | 11 | |||
| Total | 49 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 16 | ||
| Career total | 236 | 58 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 258 | 64 | ||
4.2. International
Appearances and goals by national team and year. Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 2020 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 2 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | October 13, 2023 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | Austria | 1-0 | 3-2 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 2. | 2-0 |
5. Honours
- Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: December 2018