Doku faces World Cup dilemma as wife due to give birth during knockout rounds

Jérémy Doku has acknowledged he could be absent from Belgium’s World Cup knockout matches after revealing his wife, Shireen, is due to give birth to their first child in early July — a timeline that overlaps with the rounds of 32 and 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Manchester City winger made the disclosure ahead of Belgium’s opening group game against Egypt in Seattle on Monday. Should Shireen go into labour during that phase of the tournament, the 24-year-old would need to travel from Seattle to England to be present for the birth.

“No one wants to miss a birth,” Doku told reporters. “Moreover, it is my first child. But I also know that there is a lot involved in football. In any case, the FA sympathizes with the players and our situations, so we will see what we can do.”

Doku has been a key figure for Belgium since making his international debut in 2020, earning 42 caps and scoring seven goals. He was in fine form during World Cup qualifying in 2025, netting in a 4-3 win over Wales before adding two more in a 7-0 rout of Liechtenstein — the result that secured Belgium’s place at the tournament.

His availability for the opener had briefly come into doubt after he reportedly left a training session early on Tuesday due to breathing issues, though he returned as a full participant in subsequent sessions open to the media ahead of Monday’s match against Egypt.