Pundit apologises after criticising Jeremy Doku's plan to attend birth

sportsJun 21, 202624458

Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku will leave Belgium's 2026 World Cup camp to be present at the birth of his first child. On French TV show L'Equipe de Choc a pundit criticised the decision, saying "The baby will still be there afterwards" and calling walking away from the World Cup "a disgusting moment." The pundit later apologised for those remarks, and the episode highlights the clash between elite international tournaments and players' family commitments.

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò

@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social

"Winger Jeremy Doku has been criticised for saying he wants to leave Belgium's World Cup camp to be with his wife when she gives birth to their first child." Happy Father's Day yall www.bbc.com/sport/footba...

3883h ago

Bar Mageddon33

i thought this was going to be about random internet comments, but???

Koen Van Laer18

It's ironic that's is criticized in France, but in Belgium everyone is more or less: We'll miss him, but we understand & respect his choice

Lisa Diedrich12

That this TV presenter’s criticism is worthy of coverage is part of the problem: “Doku's plan to leave the USA and return home has brought fierce criticism from L'Equipe channel presenter France Pierron, who labelled a father ‘completely useless’ at the time of their child's birth.” Ridiculous.

gandybob.bsky.social10

It’s also a crappy clickbait headline from the BBC. The criticism came from a single journalist - she has been roundly criticised and Doku has been (rightly) supported. Anyone who thinks the World Cup is more important than the birth of their child needs their head checked.

Prof Chris Jackson7

Football fans are generally dreadful ☹️

Silky5

not sure some miserable cunt mouthing off on facebook is news. only encourages them.

Skatingfool3

He knows what's really important...

🤘Patricia Lee, Publisher3

The men-folk sure get weird when men buck the patriarchy. Sports is nothing a but a paid hobby; dude has his priorities set correctly.

Marianne Dhenin3

Meanwhile, a Norwegian colleague joined his wife in the delivery room via FaceTime for the birth of their first kiddo www.reuters.com/sports/socce...

Daffy2

A smart and proper choice.

John Bentley2

He should be criticised if he doesn't attend the birth

Scott Gibson2

Just needs a person who has never tried to have a kid to roll up and ask why they couldn’t have time things better.

Ben Stanley

@benstanley.eu

www.bbc.com/sport/footba... “You're living out a childhood dream, yet you're going to walk away from it all to attend the birth of your child - a disgusting moment, if you'll pardon the expression, where the dad is completely useless.” Happy Father’s Day from L’Equipe!

152h ago

Jack Lang

@jacklang.bsky.social

“You have chosen to play. The baby will still be there afterwards.” “A World Cup is a unique moment. You’re going to walk away from that?” Reactionary garbage. Hats off to Jérémy Doku. Some things are far more important than football www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

138h ago

Josie Glausiusz

@josiegz.bsky.social

“It’s my first child, so I ‌would ⁠definitely want to be there,” Belgium winger Jeremy Doku said. Doku has been criticised for saying that he intends to leave his nation’s World Cup squad to attend the birth of his first child. Oh tomorrow is Father's Day www.nytimes.com/athletic/737...

1518h ago

Harbourmaster Productions

@harbourmasterrr.bsky.social

Absolute nonsense. Some things are more important than sports. In fact, lots of things are more important than sports. Doku criticised over plan to return home for birth - www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

63h ago

j-e-l

@jelbugle.bsky.social

Jeremy Doku is a good guy, and to be criticised for saying he wants to be at the birth of his 1st child is wrong

53h ago

Captain Blue (aka Mike G )

@valiant57.bsky.social

Happy Fathers Day to all you great Dads out there . Sad to see Jeremy Doku being criticised in certain quarters for wanting to be at the birthday of his first child instead of staying at the world cup. Good on him , great start to being a Dad.

32h ago

Tim Smedley

@timsmedley.bsky.social

Welcome to the Father's club Jeremy Doku, sounds like you're going to do just fine. What great role modelling for kids of what is truly important in life. 👏👏 #HappyFathersDay "Doku criticised over plan to return home for birth" - www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

31h ago

Amo95

@bmd2025.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba... 2026 and a fella is getting grief from the media for wanting to be there for the birth of his first child. Mental.

22h ago

Red Toads 🏆🛡️🇪🇺🏆

@fwtoads.bsky.social

Meanwhile in France, they’ve gone with “Jeremy Doku is an ungrateful traitor” because he shut down the “typical feckless black father” angle they wanted. WTF is going on in people’s heads? www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

24h ago

Born of water, forged in fire (Lish)

@forgedinfired.bsky.social

Good on Jeremy Doku for making the right choice to be with his wife and new born. That reporter is a horrible human.

222h ago

Derek Gray

@derekgray.bsky.social

www.bbc.com/sport/footba... France Pierron is, to quote Oscar Wilde, someone who knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. What a take to have. In the meantime, Jeremy Doku is a real man with real values. I hope all goes well and he has a terrific world cup

13h ago

The Mirror

@mirror.co.uk

A French pundit has issued a half-hearted apology after receiving an almighty backlash for criticising Jeremy Doku's decision to leave the World Cup for the birth of his child.

13h ago

Matt

@dvtavfc.bsky.social

Huge respect to Doku for this. Anyone having a go at him needs to get a grip! Doku criticised over plan to return home for birth - www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

12h ago

Michael Ironyside

@davidnaylor.bsky.social

Absolutely rotten that Jeremy Doku is getting criticised for temporarily leaving the World Cup to be there for the birth of his first child.

115h ago

3 sources

umlegacypressqsefc.comPundit apologises after telling World Cup star he shouldn’t leave for birth of his child: Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku has said that he planning to leave the World Cup, where he is playing for Belgium, to be present at the birth of his first child #WorldCup #JeremyDoku #ManchesterCity #ChildBirth #FootballNews bbc.co.ukWorld Cup 2026: Jeremy Doku criticised over plan to leave Belgium camp for birth of child bbc.comWorld Cup 2026: Jeremy Doku criticised over plan to leave Belgium camp for birth of child

Pundit apologises after criticising Jeremy Doku's plan to attend birthsports Japan routs Tunisia 4-0 in Monterrey, World Cupsports Shohei Ohtani welcomes second child, homers for Dodgerssports World Cup hydration breaks draw boos and tactical pauses in Monterrey matchsports

Pundit apologises after criticising Jeremy Doku's plan to attend birth

Related