Jérémy Doku left the Belgique camp at the Coupe du monde 2026 on Sunday to go to Londres for the birth of his first child, and France Football now has a clear roster consequence to track. The winger’s brief departure comes during the group stage, with Belgium still working toward its third match.
RBFA on Praise
The child is a boy named Praise. On Monday, the RBFA said Doku had received news before the match against Iran that the birth was imminent and that he was allowed to join his wife temporarily after consultation with the medical staff of the Diables Rouges.
That sequence matters because it sets the timetable for his return. The federation said he will rejoin the group on Tuesday evening, which gives Belgium only a short window before it turns back to its World Cup schedule.
Belgique and New Zealand
Belgique’s next group-stage match is Saturday against New Zealand. Doku’s absence does not look like a long break from the tournament, but it does pull a Manchester City player away from the camp at a point when the squad is still being managed day by day.
The timing is the friction in this story. He was already away by the time the federation made the announcement on Monday, and the return is set for Tuesday evening, leaving just enough time for the team to reset before the match on Saturday.
For Belgium, the practical question is simple: how much of the final stretch before New Zealand will Doku actually have with the group once he returns? Praise is the immediate reason he left, but the football consequence is a winger whose availability will be watched closely as the camp moves back to work.
