Staying at the World Cup or being present for the birth of his first child? For Jeremy Doku, the answer is simple! The Belgian winger revealed that he would like to temporarily leave Belgium’s camp if his wife, Shireen Doku, whose due date is in early July, gives birth during the FIFA World Cup. However, his stance sparked criticism from French journalist France Pierron, who questioned whether a player should leave football’s biggest tournament for family reasons. Days later, though, she had to backtrack after facing widespread backlash.

On June 21, Pierron took to Instagram to address the controversy. “In the face of the many reactions following my words in the ‘Shock Team (l’Equipe de Choc)’ about the Belgian footballer Jeremy Doku, I want to provide some clarifications. I was expressing my personal opinion as part of a contradictory exchange,” she wrote.

“These words involve only me and do not reflect a collective position in any way. I understand that they may have shocked, upset, or hurt some of you, and I am sorry. It was never my intention to downplay the place or role of fathers with their spouse and child.” [Translated via Google Translate]

The apology came after comments she made during a television debate drew strong reactions across social media.

“You have the chance to participate in a World Cup, and there are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place, but you’re going to leave all that to go and witness the birth of your child, which is a disgusting moment, excuse me, where the father is useless,” Pierron said. Immediately following her statements, former Olympic boxing champion Brahim Asloum strongly defended Doku during the live discussion.

Asloum responded, “I run three times faster (…) imagining the arrival of my baby, the joy, the stimulation, the hormones, I’m on the plane, I’m already doing push-ups…” Pierron then replied, “You’ll be exhausted from the emotion it gave you (…) and you’re not going there (to the World Cup) to cut an umbilical cord?” Asloum answered bluntly: “A baby is your whole life!”

The debate continued as Pierron insisted, “But he will always be there…” to which Asloum replied, “You can miss a World Cup, but you have your child for life!” Soon, the exchange went beyond the television studio, and thousands of people gave their thoughts on the Internet. One of the most interesting is the response by journalist Clementine Sarlat, who railed against Pierron’s remarks and sided with Doku’s wish to be there for the birth of his child.

“France Pierron, in 2026 we can no longer hold this type of discourse. We fight daily for fatherhood to be valued, for fathers to be truly involved. It’s fantastic that Doku wants this. A woman giving birth is a more vulnerable woman. We must never forget that,” Sarlat wrote.

This is not the first time France Pierron has faced similar controversy. In 2024, she had already drawn criticism after questioning arrangements allowing athletes to take care of their children during the Olympic Games.

But as it turns out, Doku’s World Cup could already be on hold due to another major reason before the baby even arrives.

Jeremy Doku ruled out of Belgium clash

Since joining in 2023, Jeremy Doku has become a crucial figure in Manchester City’s attack, providing the club with an impressive array of skills and experience. Under Pep Guardiola, he has had a successful spell for the team, winning the Premier League title as well as domestic trophies including the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Even during the FIFA World Cup 2026, Doku played in Belgium’s opening 1-1 tie against Egypt. But soon after the game, he struggled with breathing issues, which limited his participation in training.

Belgium’s sporting director Vincent Mannaert later explained the decision to manage his workload, saying: “It is better to let him rest now and then work towards the final group match against New Zealand. We are letting him rest and working towards match three.” And now, as of June 21, Doku has been ruled out of Belgium’s next Group G clash against Iran at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Belgium began their World Cup campaign with a mixed result after being held to a draw by Egypt, and now face a crucial test against Iran as they look to strengthen their position in the group. Their final group match comes against New Zealand in Vancouver, with hopes that Doku will recover in time to return for the knockout stages.