“I am disgusting.” A vicious attack on Doku for leaving the Belgium camp during the World Cup

Belgium international Jeremy Doucou, a Manchester City winger, sparked controversy at the 2026 World Cup when he announced his desire to temporarily leave his country’s national team camp to attend the birth of his first child, a move that drew harsh criticism from some media professionals in France.

Doku featured in Belgium’s 1-1 draw against Egypt in the team’s World Cup opener, but he may miss some of the tournament’s matches to be with his partner over the upcoming birthday.

During a televised discussionL’EquipeFrench journalist Frans Pieron criticized the Belgian footballer’s decision, saying: “You can’t miss the World Cup… and now you’re going to miss the game to cut the umbilical cord.”

“You have the opportunity to play in the World Cup and there are hundreds of players who want to be in your place, but you will leave it all to attend the birth of your child, which I find disgusting, with all due respect, because the father has no real role there, only a supporting role.”

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But these statements were met with backlash from some of the programme’s participants, with former French boxer Ibrahim Aslum reacting, saying:

Pierron continued to defend his position, saying: “Isn’t a midwife or a doctor capable of doing that job? On the other hand, you will spend ten hours traveling, and you will tire yourself psychologically and physically, and this may affect your participation in the World Cup.”

However, Aslum remained true to his opinion, stressing. “The child is your whole life. You can win or lose in the World Cup, but the tournament ends and the family remains.”

This is not the first time the channel or some of its employees have faced controversy for a similar stance, having previously been forced to apologize in 2019 after making snide comments about Brazilian PSG defender Marquinhos when he missed a game due to the birth of a child.

For his part, Doku clarified his position before the start of the tournament, stressing that his priority will be to attend the birth of his first child, if circumstances allow.

The Belgian player said. “It depends on the birth date, but it’s my first child and I definitely want to be there.”

“If you ask me what I want, no one wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also realize that football involves many other considerations.”

He continued. “I know the Belgian federation supports their players and understands their personal circumstances and we will see what we can do.”

The Belgian FA has yet to issue an official statement regarding Doku’s possible absence from the upcoming clash with Iran, while the Manchester City winger has confirmed he is set to take on a bigger role for the national team at the current World Cup.

“I’m looking forward to this tournament, this is my second participation in the World Cup, but the first one where I play a more important role.”

“People now expect me to make more changes than before because of the experience I have gained at Manchester City and what I have given in recent years.”

He concluded his speech by saying: “It is time to take on greater responsibilities, especially in difficult times. I want to be the player who asks for the ball without fear, creates chances and helps the team achieve its goals.”