Belgium winger Jeremy Doku could be forced into one of the toughest decisions of his career after revealing he may leave the World Cup to be present for the birth of his first child.
The 24-year-old is awaiting the arrival of his baby while Belgium continue their Group F campaign, raising the possibility that he could miss upcoming matches.
Doku was unable to make a decisive impact in Belgiumโs opening 1-1 draw with Egypt, where Emam Ashourโs strike was cancelled out by a Mohamed Hany own goal.
The result added to concerns over Belgiumโs slow start to the tournament, with the winger remaining one of the teamโs key attacking figures.
Since making his senior debut in 2020, Doku has earned 42 caps and established himself as an important player for the Red Devils. Yet football now finds itself competing with a major personal milestone.
โNo one wants to miss a birth,โ Doku told reporters. โMoreover, it is my first child. But I also know that there is a lot involved in football. In any case, the FA sympathises with the players and our situations, so we will see what we can do.โ
What might have been viewed as a private family matter quickly became a public controversy after journalist France Pierro launched a scathing attack on the playerโs stance during an appearance on LโEquipeโs television channel.
Questioning why Doku would consider leaving the tournament, Pierro said: โYou canโt miss a World Cupรขโฌยฆ And now, youโre not going to the match to cut an umbilical cord?โ
He then intensified the criticism by describing childbirth as โa disgusting momentโ and arguing that a father serves only as โan extraโ during the occasion.
The remarks sparked immediate backlash, with former boxer Brahim Asloum strongly disagreeing.
โA baby is your whole life. You can win a World Cup or miss it, but once itโs over, itโs over,โ Asloum replied.
The controversy has also revived scrutiny of LโEquipe, which previously faced criticism for similar comments involving Brazil defender Marquinhos.
The outlet was forced to apologise after backlash over remarks made when the defender missed a fixture in 2019 to attend the birth of his child.
