21.6.2026
Belgium and Manchester City star player Jeremy Doku has requested for a paternity leave to be near his wife.
Belgium made a difficult start to their World Cup campaign drawing 1-1 with Egypt and as they prepared to face Iran on Sunday hoping for a victory, Doku who is out of the game due to illness informed reporters that he would need to be with his wife who is expecting his first child any time soon.
“It’s my first child, so I would definitely want to be there,” Doku told Reuters.
Belgium would potentially be playing in the quarterfinals at the same time that Shireen is due to give birth.
“If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child. 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.”
A French critic, France Pierron of L’Equipe, “You are not going to cut an umbilical cord; you can’t miss a World Cup.”
However, boxer Brahim Asloum supported Doku saying: “A baby is your entire life. A World Cup is over when it is over.”
