FIFA World Cup 2026: After the birth of his son, Jeremy Doku returns to Belgium on Tuesday

Belgian winger Jeremy Doku was able to attend the birth of his son in London on Monday and will return to his national team on Tuesday.

Doku’s wife, Shireen, gave birth to a son named Praise on Monday, the Belgian football federation said in a statement attributed to team doctor Brahim Hacene.

The Manchester City star had missed Belgium’s 0-0 draw against Iran on Sunday due to illness.

“Because he had been receiving appropriate medical treatment for several days, he was able to fly without medical risk to be with his family during this very special moment,” Hacene said in the statement.

«He was accompanied by my colleague, Dr. Brecht De Coninck. Everything went perfectly and the mother, father and baby are all doing very well. Jeremy will rejoin the team in Seattle (Tuesday evening).»

Doku heard criticism from Belgian fans when he said he planned to return to Europe for his wife’s due date in the second week of July – coinciding with the World Cup quarter-finals.

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«If you ask me what I want, my answer is that no one wants to miss the birth of their first child. But I also know that football involves many more considerations,» Doku told Reuters at the time. «I know the federation supports its players and understands their situation. We will see what we can do.»

Belgium (0-0-2, 2 points) is two points behind Egypt in Group ⁠G and closes the group match against ⁠underdog New Zealand on Friday in Vancouver. A win would all but guarantee Belgium a place in the knockout stages, and a draw wouldn’t rule out their chances of progressing as one of the top eight teams in third place.

Published on June 23, 2026