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Professional footballer criticised for missing World Cup for birth of child - why?

Yesterday, Belgium and Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku arrived back in London for the birth of...

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15.48 23 Jun 2026


Professional footballer criticised for missing World Cup for birth of child - why?


Listen to this episode


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15.48 23 Jun 2026


Yesterday, Belgium and Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku arrived back in London for the birth of his first child after catching an emergency flight from Belgium’s World Cup camp.

There was controversy surrounding this as L’Equipe’s France Pierron caused international outrage with her response to this news, saying “You can’t miss a World Cup… You have the chance to participate in a World Cup, and there are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place.”

Should professional footballers be allowed to skip important matches to watch the birth of their child? Or, is it cause for controversy?

Joining Ciara to discuss is John Brewin, Sportswriter, Editor and Broadcaster.


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The Hard Shoulder

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