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Jeremy Doku, the 24-year-old Manchester City winger and one of Belgium’s most important attacking players, has told the world he plans to leave the 2026 FIFA World Cup camp if his wife goes into labor during the tournament. His wife is due in the second week of July, which happens to line up almost perfectly with the quarterfinal stage.
The reaction has been, predictably, a mess. French sports presenter France Pierron went on air on June 20, 2026, and called childbirth a “disgusting moment,” arguing that fathers play a minor role in the delivery room anyway.
The backlash and the counter-backlash
Pierron’s comments lit a match under what was already a simmering debate. The core question: does a player owe it to his country to stay at a World Cup, even if his first child is being born thousands of miles away?
Doku started in Belgium’s opening matches at the tournament, making him a genuine contributor rather than a fringe squad player riding the bench. If Belgium advances deep into the knockout rounds, his absence would be felt on the pitch.
Where crypto enters the picture
Doku isn’t just a footballer. He’s also a global ambassador for OKX, the major crypto exchange, and is featured on Sorare, the Ethereum-based fantasy sports and digital collectibles platform.
There’s no evidence that Doku’s family decision has moved any markets or created direct financial consequences for OKX or Sorare. But the episode does highlight a tension that crypto sponsors haven’t fully reckoned with yet: when you build a brand around individual athletes, you inherit their personal narratives.
Sorare’s model, which ties digital collectibles to real-world player performance, adds another wrinkle. If Doku misses a quarterfinal because he’s in a delivery room, that has tangible consequences for anyone holding his cards on the platform.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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