Jeremy Doku says he wants to leave the World Cup to attend the birth of his first child, with Belgium’s quarter-finals falling in the second week of July. The comments triggered a backlash from L’Equipe presenter France Pierron, who called the idea “disgusting
Jeremy Doku’s World Cup plans have turned into a public row, with his words landing sharply just as Belgium’s tournament runs toward the business end.
The 24-year-old Man City winger said he intends to leave the competition to be present for the birth of his first child. His wife, Shireen, is heavily pregnant and is due in the second week of July, a window that lines up with the World Cup quarter-final stage.
Speaking earlier this week, Doku told reporters he would return home to support his partner even if Belgium were still in the tournament 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.”
He added that football requires weighing other factors, while insisting he believes the federation understands the situation. “But I also know that football involves many other considerations,” Doku said. “I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We’ll see what we can do.”.
That message prompted immediate pushback, including from L’Equipe presenter France Pierron. Pierron said it would be a “disgusting moment” to leave the squad, arguing the father would be ineffective during the birth.
“The World Cup is an incredible joy,” Pierron said. “There are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your shoes. It might never happen again in your life.”
She continued: “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.”
Pierron also insisted the idea of missing the birth was impossible to justify. “You are not going to cut an umbilical cord; you can’t miss a World Cup.”
Her remarks then triggered a second wave of criticism aimed at Pierron, with many arguing Doku should be present for such a first moment in his life. Pierron did not retreat immediately from her stance and added that the father would lose time and struggle emotionally.
“He is going to waste 10 hours, he will be exhausted and have an emotional meltdown. Your baby will always be there,” she said.
Later, Pierron released a statement on her social media page that shifted the tone of her comments. She said her “intention has never been to minimise the place or role of fathers with their partner and their child.”
Pierron wrote that she was offering “a personal opinion” in the context of a “contentious exchange,” adding: “I understand that they may have shocked, hurt, or wounded some of you, and I am sorry for that.” She also added that her remarks “commit only me and in no way reflect a collective position.”
Doku is in the middle of Belgium’s tournament schedule as the debate grows. He played 86 minutes of Belgium’s World Cup opener against Egypt on Monday, a match that finished as a 1-1 draw.
Rudi Garcia’s side are scheduled to take on Iran later on Sunday, and then face New Zealand on June 26. Doku was expected to feature in both group games, but on Saturday night Belgium’s FA announced he would miss the Iran match due to illness.
The row now hangs over a player’s decision at the exact point where Belgium’s campaign moves from group matches to the knockouts—when the second week of July could decide whether Doku gets to choose family over football.
Jeremy Doku Belgium Man City World Cup Shireen Doku France Pierron L’Equipe quarter-finals World Cup row