Jeremy Doku. Credit: Imago
Belgium winger Jeremy Doku has revealed he coughed blood and battled severe chest pain during the 2026 FIFA World Cup before temporarily leaving the team’s camp for the birth of his first child.
Doku, who plays for Manchester City, made the revelation in a video shared on his YouTube channel on Saturday, describing the difficult period as one of the toughest moments of his career.
According to him, his health problems began after Belgium’s match against Tunisia when he developed an uncontrollable cough despite recovering from an earlier illness.
“I started coughing every second. I couldn’t say a word without coughing,” he said.
The 24-year-old said he later experienced an excruciating pain in his chest after attending church with the team.
“Suddenly, here in my chest, I felt a pain that I’ve never felt before. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe in.”
Despite receiving medication from Belgium’s team doctor and travelling with the squad to the United States, Doku said his condition worsened.
“I couldn’t train properly that week. I was quickly tired and my coughing was still not gone. I even started coughing blood at one point.”
The Belgian international disclosed that another severe episode forced him to seek emergency medical treatment in the early hours of the morning.
“I went to the emergency. We did all the tests and we saw there was liquid in my lungs or something. I asked, ‘How did that happen?’ The doctor said it was uncommon.”
Doku said he continued taking medication but remained in pain, making it impossible to train or perform at his best.
“I spoke to the coach and told him, ‘Impossible. I cannot even run without feeling a heavy pain.'”
While dealing with the health scare, Doku received life-changing news when Belgium’s team manager woke him at 6 a.m. to inform him that his wife had gone into labour weeks before her expected due date.
“The team manager told me, ‘Your wife, her water broke.’ I was shocked because she wasn’t due until July.”
Doku said he immediately decided to return to London, noting that he was in no condition to play anyway.
“I told them, ‘Guys, I’m not able to play either way, so I’m going to go back to see my son.’ They didn’t even think twice.”
The winger, whose first son has been named Praise, described the timing of the birth as “divine.”
Reflecting on becoming a father, Doku said he prepared by watching YouTube videos and seeking advice from family members before arriving at the hospital.
“I was first looking on YouTube to see how I could help my wife during labour. I didn’t want to get there and not know what to do. I was watching videos, asking my dad and other people.”
He praised his wife for her strength during childbirth and admitted meeting his son was an emotional experience.
“Seeing him, I was like, ‘He’s so little, so cute.’ It’s strange because my wife already had that connection with him, but for me it was different.”
Doku’s temporary departure from Belgium’s World Cup camp to attend the birth of his son drew widespread public attention during the tournament but was fully supported by the Belgian Football Federation. He returned in time to feature in Belgium’s final group-stage match and later helped the Red Devils reach the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by Spain.
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