Jeremy Doku has received widespread support after making it clear he would leave Belgium's World Cup camp to attend the birth of his first child, even if his country is still competing in the tournament.
The Manchester City winger is due to become a father next month, with his wife Shireen expected to give birth during the second week of July. That timing could potentially clash with Belgium's World Cup campaign, including a possible quarter-final.
Doku, 24, said he does not want to miss the birth of his first child, while acknowledging the demands of representing his country at a major tournament.
"If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child," Doku told Reuters."But I also know that football involves many other considerations. I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We'll see what we can do."
Doku's comments drew criticism from L'Equipe channel presenter France Pierron, who claimed a father is "completely useless" during childbirth and described the moment as "disgusting".
The remarks were widely condemned across football and beyond.
L'Equipe later apologised, saying Pierron's comments were "very far removed" from the organisation's values. Pierron also issued an apology, while reports in France said she would not present her show on Monday.
England striker Ollie Watkins, a father of two, strongly supported Doku's stance.
"It only happens once — welcoming your first child to the world — and it is a blessing," Watkins said."There's a lot of times where you're away from family and friends during the season and it's very difficult, so to miss that would be tough and I see where he's coming from."
Watkins also criticised the language used to describe childbirth, saying it was wrong to label such a moment as "disgusting".
The Professional Footballers' Association said players should not be forced to sacrifice major family milestones because of football.
"Supporting players as people, not just athletes, is an important part of creating a healthy professional working environment," a PFA spokesperson said.
The Fatherhood Institute also defended Doku, with deputy chief executive Jeremy Davies comparing the expectations placed on players to "gladiators in the Colosseum".
"We want these men to be these heroic figures who exist for our entertainment," Davies said."They get paid lots of money but there are some things that are worth a lot more."
While FIFA regulations guarantee female footballers at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, there is no specific paternity leave rule for men's football.
That leaves players and clubs to manage family situations individually.
There have been several high-profile examples of players prioritising childbirth during major football moments. Fabian Delph left England's 2018 World Cup camp in Russia to return home for the birth of his daughter, while David Silva missed two Manchester City matches in 2018 after the premature birth of his son.
Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was also granted extended leave in 2021 after his partner Edurne gave birth to their daughter.
Others have been unable to attend in person. Norway defender Leo Ostigard watched the birth of his son on FaceTime while at the World Cup, while Ruben Neves experienced the birth of his third child by phone from Wolves' team bus in 2021 because of pandemic travel restrictions.
Former Brentford and Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, working as a BBC Sport pundit during the World Cup, said Doku should be supported if he chooses to leave the Belgium squad.
"Football is the most important of not important things — so it is not important at a time like this," Frank said."To see your wife or partner give birth is one of the biggest things you will experience."
Frank added that returning home would be "the right thing to do" and said Doku would come back "on top of the world".
The debate around Doku is not limited to football.
Cricketer Jamie Smith recently missed England's second Test defeat by New Zealand after the birth of his daughter, while Sir James Anderson flew home between Ashes Tests in Australia in 2010 to attend the birth of his second child.
NBA star Anthony Edwards left a game at half-time in 2024 to be present for the birth of his daughter, and Andy Murray said in 2016 he would leave the Australian Open early if his wife Kim went into labour.
Darts player Rob Cross, however, missed the birth of his third child in 2017 to qualify for the World Matchplay tournament.
For Doku, the message is simple: football matters, but family matters more.
