Belgium has produced some extraordinary footballers over the past several decades-Eden Hazard at his dazzling peak, Kevin De Bruyne with his generational passing vision, Paul Van Himst, Wilfried Van Moer, and the entire “Golden Generation” that many believed would finally bring a World Cup to Brussels.
Yet despite all that talent, Belgium has never lifted the sport’s most coveted trophy. Now, a new superstar may be emerging-one with a skill set unlike anything the nation has ever seen. And if his current trajectory continues, Manchester City forward Jeremy Doku might be the player capable of carrying Belgium to long-awaited glory.
A dribbling phenomenon with legendary comparisons
Doku has been electric since the moment he arrived in the Premier League, but this season he has taken an unmistakable leap. His performance in Manchester City‘s 3-0 dismantling of Liverpool before the international break was more than just impressive-it was a statement.
The 23-year-old shredded Liverpool’s right flank, leaving Connor Bradley and anyone else brave enough to step in front of him completely helpless. He capped the performance with a stunning solo goal, earning man-of-the-match honors and sparking glowing praise from analysts across Europe.
Among those voices is journalist Jan Mulder, who offered a comparison rarely used in modern football: Garrincha. Yes-the Garrincha. The Brazilian icon many consider the greatest pure dribbler the sport has ever seen. Mulder described Doku‘s style with almost poetic admiration:
“If Doku sees five centimeters of space between four players, he slips through… I’ve seen Jeremy Doku and am desperately searching for lyricism to do justice to his game.” He goes even further, suggesting the young winger might already be positioning himself for legendary status.
A unique skillset: pure chaos, pure brilliance
What makes Doku so special isn’t just his speed-plenty of players are fast. It’s the way he uses it, combining instant acceleration, balance, misdirection, and a fearless willingness to run at defenders again and again. Mulder highlighted the Garrincha-like elements:
“Receiving the ball and standing still… feigning a dribble with his hips… doing nothing… remaining still. And suddenly, Garrincha and Doku are out of sight at a devastating speed down the sideline.”
Belgium’s Golden Generation reached its peak in 2018 and 2022-but ultimately fell short. They had world-class stability, structure, and creativity through De Bruyne, Hazard, Vertonghen, Witsel, and Courtois. What they lacked was unpredictability. Chaos. A game-breaker in moments when organization wasn’t enough. Doku can be that player.
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