Belgium’s Doku welcomes baby boy at World Cup amid controversy | World Cup 2026

Doku walked out when a French journalist who said fathers were ‘useless’ in childbirth was suspended from his show.

Jeremy Doku has become a father, the Belgian Football Association announced, days after the player’s decision to leave the FIFA World Cup to attend the birth of his son sparked controversy.

After consultation with the medical staff, Doku was allowed to leave the Red Devils temporarily before last Sunday’s match against Iran to join his wife in London, where the couple welcomed a son, Tamandani, the club said on Monday.

The team doctor, Brahim Hacene, said:

Doku had already been ruled out of Sunday’s game due to illness.

“Since he had already received proper medical treatment for a few days, he was able to fly without any accident to be with his family at this special time,” the doctor said.

“Mother, father, and son are all doing amazing,” he added.

Doku, who will be reunited with his teammates in Seattle on Tuesday, is seen as one of the youngest players in the Belgian squad, who have made a solid start to their tough campaign, recording all their matches so far.

The 24-year-old made it clear before the Red Devils’ first game that he wished he could have been there to give birth to his first child, prompting criticism from some.

A presenter on L’Equipe TV, a popular sports newspaper channel in France, questioned the decision, saying that fathers were “useless” in giving birth, when hundreds of footballers would have killed to take part in the World Cup.

The comments caused an internet firestorm, forcing L’Equipe to apologize and distance itself from them. The presenter has been suspended from his show.

Doku started in Belgium’s first match against Egypt, but struggled to adapt before coming on as a substitute.

Deficiency draw without score against Iran in Los Angeles was mocked by the Belgian media, which mocked the team’s performance.

Belgium, who are rebuilding after their “golden age” showed that age had caught up with them by exiting the group for the 2022 World Cup, can guarantee themselves a place in the last 32 with a win over New Zealand in their final game on Friday.