Belgian soccer international Jeremy Doku caused something of a stir when he left the Belgian World Cup Team in the middle of the 2026 championships to be with his wife as she gave birth to their first child.

Doku first came to prominence as a 17-year-old at Anderlecht before spending three years at Ligue 1 club Rennes. In 2023 the English Premier League club Manchester City signed him up for 65 million euros. 

Success with Manchester City

The 2026 football season started well for Jeremy. On 26 April in the FA Cup semifinal against Southampton at Wembley Stadium in London, he scored the first goal and assisted Nico González to score the second winning goal. Manchester City reached a record fourth successive FA Cup final with their 2–1 win. Then on 4 May, he scored the first goal against Everton, followed by a second curling shot from the edge of the box in the last minute of the match to earn his side a 3–3 draw. On 16 May, after his team had lost the final in the previous two years, Jeremy helped his team to win the FA Cup against Chelsea.

World Cup Controversy

Jeremy was in good form and was a natural choice for the 2026 Belgian team in the World Cup. The team were all aware that he and his wife Shireen were about to have their first child. The championship games had barely started when Jeremy took his arranged leave of absence to fly home for a few days to be with Shireen as she gave birth. Immediately, he was criticised in the media, and especially by the highly regarded French journalist France Pierron, who intimated that the World Cup was so important that he should not have left the team even for the birth of his son. Jeremy disagreed because his Christian faith taught him to put his family before his career. He stood his ground and emphasised that his family always comes first. 

Jeremy Doku has been a regular Belgian international since 2020. He represented the country in every youth level game and played at the UEFA European Championships in 2020 and 2024. He also played at two FIFA World Cups in 2022 and 2026. But the birth of his baby boy was a very special event and he was not prepared to let Shireen face the trauma of childbirth alone. 

Praise!

Jeremy gave thanks to God as he held his newborn baby boy in his arms. He was unapologetic about his choice. Jeremy and Shireen named their little boy “Praise” in honour of their commitment to Jesus Christ and their faith in God. Immediately after the birth of baby Praise, they shared a verse from the Bible,

“Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17)

Jeremy said that his son is “one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me.” France Pierron later apologised after she realised that her criticism was unfair and that Jeremy’s decision was to be admired rather than defamed.

Grateful

After the birth of baby Praise, Jeremy returned to play for Belgium’s World Cup squad. He thanked the Belgium football team for their support and quoted Psalm 34,

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Pslam 34:1)

 

story by Ralph Burden

Photo: Screen shot of Jeremy Doku with baby Praise

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