The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to kick off across Mexico, the United States, and Canada on June 11, and with it comes the expansion of an exclusive club: father-son duos who have played in the tournament. To date, 27 such pairs have graced football's biggest stage, but this number is expected to rise significantly this summer in North America.
Players to Watch
Erling Haaland, Luca Zidane, Kristian Thorstvedt, and others will aim to make their fathers and countries proud in the upcoming edition, which marks the first 48-team World Cup after expansion from 32 teams.
Sebastian Berhalter (USA)
The midfielder is the son of Gregg Berhalter, who played for the USA in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Sebastian made his international debut last year, scoring in a 5-1 win over Uruguay, and secured his spot in Mauricio Pochettino's 26-man squad after a strong MLS season with Vancouver Whitecaps.
Francisco Conceicao (Portugal)
Portuguese winger Francisco Conceicao, son of Sergio Conceicao (2002 World Cup), scored the winner against Czechia in EURO 2024 and netted in the Nations League semifinal win over Germany in June.
Lee Taeseok (South Korea)
Playing as a left-back for FK Austria Wien, Lee scored the only goal in South Korea's November victory over Ghana. His father, Lee Eulyong, scored an equalizer in the 2002 World Cup third-place match against Turkey.
Angus Gunn (Scotland)
Former England youth international Gunn switched allegiance to Scotland and is now their first-choice goalkeeper. Despite a knee injury in December limiting his playing time, he earned a spot in the squad. His father Bryan was third-choice goalkeeper for Scotland in the 1990 World Cup.
Erling Haaland (Norway)
The prolific Manchester City striker, son of Alfie Haaland (1994 World Cup), is arguably the most high-profile son in the list and aims to shine in his first World Cup.
Justin Kluivert (Netherlands)
Son of Patrick Kluivert (1998 World Cup), Justin had a sensational season with Bournemouth in 2024/25, earning his place in the Dutch squad. Patrick scored in the 1998 quarterfinal and semifinal but saw the Netherlands lose on penalties.
Giuliano Simeone (Argentina)
Son of Diego Simeone (three World Cups, including 1998), Giuliano plays for Atletico Madrid under his father and scored in Argentina's 4-1 win over Brazil in 2025.
Kristian Thorstvedt (Norway)
The midfielder helped Norway qualify with a 4-1 win over Italy. He is the son of former Tottenham goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt, who played in the 1994 World Cup.
Luca Zidane (Algeria)
Son of legendary Zinedine Zidane, Luca switched allegiance from France to Algeria and made his debut in October. He had a strong club season with Granada as a goalkeeper.
Complete List of 27 Father-Son Duos
- Luis Pérez and Mario Pérez (Mexico)
- Martí Ventolrà and José Ventolrà (Spain/Mexico)
- Domingos da Guia and Ademir da Guia (Brazil)
- Roger Rio and Patrice Rio (France)
- Nicolae Lupescu and Ioan Lupescu (Romania)
- Cesare Maldini and Paolo Maldini (Italy)
- Manuel Sanchís Martínez and Manolo Sanchís (Spain)
- Roy Andersson and Patrik Andersson (Sweden)
- Jean Djorkaeff and Youri Djorkaeff (France)
- Jan Verheyen and Gert Verheyen (Belgium)
- Roy Andersson and Daniel Andersson (Sweden)
- Cha Bum-kun and Cha Du-ri (South Korea)
- Julio Montero Castillo and Paolo Montero (Uruguay)
- Pablo Forlán and Diego Forlán (Uruguay)
- Anders Linderoth and Tobias Linderoth (Sweden)
- Miguel Ángel Alonso and Xabi Alonso (Spain)
- Miguel Reina and Pepe Reina (Spain)
- Włodzimierz Smolarek and Ebi Smolarek (Poland)
- Javier Hernández Gutiérrez and Javier Hernández (Mexico)
- Ján Kozák and Ján Kozák (Czechoslovakia/Slovakia)
- Vladimír Weiss and Vladimír Weiss (Czechoslovakia/Slovakia)
- Danny Blind and Daley Blind (Netherlands)
- Alexandre Guimarães and Celso Borges (Costa Rica)
- Mazinho and Thiago Alcântara (Brazil/Spain)
- Peter Schmeichel and Kasper Schmeichel (Denmark)
- Claudio Reyna and Giovanni Reyna (United States)
- Lilian Thuram and Marcus Thuram (France)
