Jeremy Doku’s Belgium World Cup return date confirmed as presenter apologises for "completely useless" comment

Belgium person been boosted by a caller update regarding the availability of winger Jeremy Doku up of their adjacent 2026 World Cup fixture.

The Manchester City prima missed the nationalist team’s 0-0 gully with Iran successful Los Angeles connected Sunday owed to illness, portion helium besides received the quality that his woman was owed to springiness commencement to their archetypal child.

Doku had told reporters that his wife's owed day was primitively expected successful the 2nd week of July erstwhile the past 16 and quarter-finals of the World Cup are scheduled.

"It ​depends connected erstwhile it happens, but it's my archetypal child, truthful I ‌would ⁠definitely privation to beryllium there,” said the 24-year-old.

"If you inquire maine what I want, my reply is that cipher wants to miss the commencement of their archetypal child, but I besides ​know that shot ​involves galore ⁠other considerations."

"I cognize the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We'll spot what we ​can do,” helium added.

Shortly earlier Belgium's gully against Iran, Doku received connection that his woman was successful labour and made the determination to alert backmost to London to invited the accomplishment of his babe boy, Praise.

Belgium handed Doku boost earlier important New Zealand World Cup clash

Belgium squad doc Brahim ​Hacene has since provided a affirmative update connected Doku’s availability up of their 3rd and last Group G fixture against New Zealand successful Vancouver connected Saturday section time.

"Jeremy ​received quality earlier [Sunday's] lucifer that the commencement was imminent," ​Hacene said successful a connection from the Belgian ‌federation.

"As helium had already been receiving due aesculapian attraction for respective days, ​he was capable to alert without aesculapian hazard to beryllium with his household during this precise peculiar moment.

"He was ​accompanied by my colleague, Dr. Brecht De ⁠Coninck. Everything went perfectly, and the ⁠mother, father, and babe are each doing wonderfully. Jeremy volition re-join the squad ‌[on Tuesday] evening successful Seattle." 

Doku is truthful successful contention to instrumentality to Rudi Garcia’s lineup for a important crippled that Belgium indispensable ideally triumph to boost their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds, aft opening their World Cup run with back-to-back draws.

Pierron apologises for "completely useless" Doku remarks

Doku’s determination to permission the Belgium campy was initially criticised by L'Equipe transmission presenter France Pierron, who bizarrely labelled a begetter "completely useless" astatine the clip of their child's birth.

In a connection posted connected L’Equipe’s Facebook page, Pierron said: "The World Cup is an unthinkable joy. There are hundreds of footballers who would termination to beryllium successful your shoes. It mightiness ne'er hap again successful your life.

"You're surviving retired a puerility dream, yet you're going to locomotion distant from it each to be the commencement of your kid - a disgusting moment, if you'll pardon the expression, wherever the dada is wholly useless."

Pierron has since apologised for her comments aimed astatine Doku, who has received wide enactment online for his decision.

In a connection posted connected X, Pierron said "I was expressing a idiosyncratic opinion, wrong the discourse of a contentious exchange.

"I recognize that they whitethorn person shocked, hurt, oregon wounded immoderate of you, and I americium atrocious for that. My volition has ne'er been to minimise the spot oregon relation of fathers with their spouse and their child."

Doku is simply a 44-cap Belgium planetary who enjoyed a palmy 2025-26 play astatine nine level with Man City, signaling 8 goals and 14 assists successful 47 games, arsenic good arsenic winning some the EFL Cup and FA Cup.