Jérémy Doku criticises Rudi Garcia’s World Cup choices

Jérémy Doku has criticised Rudi Garcia’s handling of his role during Belgium’s 2026 World Cup campaign, saying the tactical decisions prevented him from playing in conditions that suited him. The Manchester City winger, who is 24, identified his positioning as a major source of frustration.

Doku was affected by a respiratory infection early in the tournament and missed several matches. When selected, he was not consistently used on the left, the position where he feels he performs best. He was deployed on the right at times and also operated as a central striker against Egypt, choices he believes reduced his effectiveness.

The Belgian forward said those decisions were particularly difficult to understand because his strongest performances have come from the left flank. His criticism focuses on Garcia’s positional choices rather than on the team’s overall tournament outcome.

Belgium still reached the quarter-finals, which Doku regards as a successful result for the team. His comments therefore highlight a personal disagreement with the management of his role during a campaign that ended among the last eight, rather than a rejection of Belgium’s collective achievement.