Doku Lights The Fuse For Belgium Cup World Cup Hopes

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Belgium coach Rudi Garcia has identified Jeremy Doku as a key weapon for the World Cup, after a dominant 5-2 friendly win over the United States in Atlanta. Garcia views Doku as central to Belgium's attacking plan, especially in games where tight defences demand individual skill as well as combination play in the final third.

Garcia underlined this view when discussing the winger's display against the World Cup co-hosts, pointing to Doku's ability to unsettle defenders and open gaps. The match also helped the coaching staff test different attacking structures, with several regulars and fringe players gaining valuable minutes ahead of the tournament.

Belgium produced a clinical attacking performance in Atlanta, overwhelming the United States with five goals. Zeno Debast, Amadou Onana and Charles De Ketelaere all found the net before Dodi Lukebakio struck twice from the bench. The Red Devils repeatedly punished defensive errors and transitions, showing depth in forward areas despite Romelu Lukaku's continued fitness issues at Napoli.

Doku operated from the left wing and was heavily involved until substitution in the 70th minute. The Manchester City player recorded 56 touches, the highest figure for any Belgium player, and created three chances. Kevin De Bruyne was the only team-mate to match that chance-creation number, highlighting Doku's involvement in advanced areas across the contest.

The winger's statistical output underlined Garcia's praise. Doku completed 18 passes in the final third, more than any other player on the pitch. The winger attempted eight dribbles, completing three, and contested 14 duels, winning seven. Those numbers reflected constant engagement in one-on-one situations, even though Doku did not register an assist.

Asked about Doku's impact, Garcia said: "Like everyone else, Doku is important. Jeremy is the player who lights the fuse. To score goals, you can play collectively with passing and movement, or you can make the difference with players in one-on-one situations. That's what Jeremy did in some situations. He creates danger by eliminating opponents."

Garcia also addressed how rivals may react to Doku during the World Cup, expecting extra defensive attention on that flank. When asked about possible double-marking, Garcia said: "I hope so, because that creates space elsewhere. It is then up to Jeremy to be calm enough to use those situations to find the free players around him."

Belgium World Cup build-up, Jeremy Doku and Romelu Lukaku

The win arrived without Belgium's record scorer Romelu Lukaku, whose season at Napoli has been disrupted by injury, limiting Lukaku to just 64 minutes of action. Garcia and staff have therefore been searching for alternative attacking options and patterns, using friendlies to test combinations that could support or replace Lukaku during the World Cup campaign.

That search framed the selection against the United States, with Garcia leaning on players needing minutes and others returning from absences. Belgium's coach said: "We have discussed this topic before, because Romelu has not played many qualifying matches and we had to find solutions," highlighting ongoing planning for Group G and beyond.

Garcia explained the starting line-up and substitutions in detail, showing an emphasis on chemistry. "For me, it was not the best possible 11, but the group that seemed most suitable to me to start this game.There were many reasons for this selection. Some players needed minutes, such as De Bruyne, [Maxim] De Cuyper and Debast. De Ketelaere had also been out of action for a while. I also wanted to see some partnerships between players, and I was very happy with the substitutes. A 5-2 away win, even if it's a friendly, is something they will remember."

Belgium now move from Atlanta into the next stage of preparation, with another friendly against Mexico scheduled for Tuesday. The broader aim is to refine systems before the Group G opener against Egypt on June 15. Within that process, Doku's role as an individual threat, and complement to collective passing, has become a central theme for Garcia and the squad.