Once again this week, we must go into the fray of controversy, as yet more has arrived… This time at the World Cup by the hands of Belgium winger Jérémy Doku, who has urgently returned home to be present for the birth of his first child. You might think such a thing, in our current landscape, would be seen as an entirely normal thing for a parent to do, or admirable in fact. Perhaps this could even be a unique opportunity to talk about the essential role of men in families; to celebrate the importance of good fathers, and to remind the world that the birth of a child is unlike anything else, and that includes playing in the World Cup. And to many it was. Jérémy Doku was celebrated by a lot of journalists, players, mums, and new dads. With many exchanging stories of similar times, when players and pundits have suddenly answered the phone, and run off to support the mother of their child. But sadly… not everyone was happy… Other journalists called Jérémy a ‘deserter’, as ‘useless’ and ‘an extra’ to the birth, which was itself dubbed ‘a disgusting moment’, by L’Equipe news presenter, France Pierron. Pierron sneered at the very point of a dad even being there at all, ‘they hold your hand and take a photo’ but besides that they are ‘useless’. And since, the happy family, and their newly born son, have become a lightening rod for debate around fatherhood… Such an ongoing event has become yet another reminder that, for many, there is still a long way to go in reminding the world that dads matter too, and that not all goals are found on the football field. So is Jérémy a deserter, or a king? And what does modern fatherhood mean to you? What do you think?

2026-06-25