22/06/2026
Belgium winger Jeremy Doku has come under fire for saying that he intends to leave the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child.
Doku's wife Shireen is heavily pregnant and is due to give birth in the second week of July, a timeframe that coincides with the tournament's quarter-final stage.
Speaking earlier this week, the Man City star told reporters he would return home to support his partner even if Belgium remain in the World Cup at that point.
'It's my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,' Doku said. 'If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child.
'But I also know that football involves many โ other considerations. I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. Weโll see what we can do.'
However, this led to a backlash in some quarters, including from L'Equipe presenter France Pierron.
She claimed it would be a 'disgusting moment' to leave the squad, adding that the 'father is useless' during the birth process.
'The World Cup is an incredible joy,' she said. 'There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your shoes. It might never happen again in your life.
'You're living out a childhood dream, yet you're going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child - a disgusting moment, if you'll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless.
'You are not going to cut an umbilical cord; you canโt miss a World Cup.'
