Doku travelled to the UK as a French presenter who stated fathers are ‘ineffective’ at childbirth was stood down from her present.
Revealed On 22 Jun 2026
Jeremy Doku has turn out to be a father, the Belgian Soccer Affiliation introduced, days after the participant’s plans to go away the FIFA World Cup to attend his baby’s delivery sparked controversy.
After consultations with medical workers, Doku was allowed to quickly go away the Crimson Devils earlier than final Sunday’s recreation with Iran to hitch his spouse in London, the place the couple welcomed a child boy, Reward, the federation stated on Monday.
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“Jeremy acquired the information earlier than yesterday’s match that the delivery was imminent,” the crew’s physician, Brahim Hacene, stated.
Doku had already been dominated out of Sunday’s match resulting from sickness.
“As he had already been receiving the suitable medical therapy for a number of days, he was capable of fly with none medical threat to be along with his household throughout this very particular second,” the physician stated.
“Mom, father, and child are all doing splendidly,” he added.
Doku, who’s to rejoin his teammates in Seattle on Tuesday, is considered among the finest younger gamers within the Belgium squad, who’ve made a stable if unspectacular begin to their marketing campaign, drawing each their matches up to now.
The 24-year-old had made it clear earlier than the Crimson Devils’ first match that he would have wished to be there for the delivery of his first baby, drawing criticism from some quarters.
A presenter on L’Equipe TV, the channel of the historic French sports activities newspaper, questioned the choice, saying that fathers have been “ineffective” at childbirth, whereas lots of of footballers would have killed to play in a World Cup.
The feedback triggered an internet storm, forcing L’Equipe to apologise and distance itself from them. The presenter has been stood down from her present.
Doku began in Belgium’s first match in opposition to Egypt, however struggled to make an affect earlier than being changed.
The lacklustre scoreless draw in opposition to Iran in Los Angeles drew scorn from Belgian media, which lambasted the crew’s efficiency.
Belgium, who’re rebuilding after their “golden era” confirmed that age had caught up with them in exiting on the group stage within the 2022 World Cup, can guarantee themselves of progressing to the final 32 with a win over New Zealand of their last group match on Friday.
