The FIFA World Cup 2026 will showcase several sets of brothers pursuing World Cup glory - sometimes together and sometimes on opposite sides of the international divide.
From France's talented Hernández brothers and the Netherlands' twin duo of Quinten and Jurriën Timber to the Williams brothers, who will represent Spain and Ghana, family ties will add an intriguing subplot to football's biggest tournament. Some siblings will line up for the same nation, while others will find themselves cheering from different dressing rooms despite sharing the same upbringing.
As the world turns its attention to North America for the FIFA World Cup 2026, here are eight pairs of brothers who could leave their mark on the global stage and add another fascinating chapter to football's rich family legacy.
Guéla Doué, Desiré Doué
The Doué brothers are the first sibling duo to feature on this list, although they will represent different nations on football's biggest stage. The elder of the two, 23-year-old Guéla Doué, is set to play for Ivory Coast, while his younger brother, 21-year-old Désiré Doué, is poised to make his FIFA World Cup debut for France.
The brothers occupy vastly different roles on the pitch. Guéla is a defender who primarily operates as a right-back, whereas Désiré is an attacking player, most often deployed as a right winger.
When it comes to silverware, Désiré has enjoyed greater success so far, largely due to his time with Paris Saint-Germain. Ironically, Guéla represents PSG's Ligue 1 rivals, RC Strasbourg Alsace.
During his career with PSG, Désiré has won two UEFA Champions League titles, two Ligue 1 crowns, one UEFA Super Cup, one Coupe de France, and two French Super Cup trophies, establishing himself as one of the brightest young talents in world football.
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Iñaki Williams, Nico Williams
The Williams brothers are another sibling pair set to feature at the FIFA World Cup, albeit for different nations. Both were born in Spain, but their international allegiances diverged. Elder brother Iñaki Williams, now 31, chose to represent Ghana in 2022, while 23-year-old Nico Williams has continued to play for Spain.
The brothers spent the majority of their careers together at Athletic Bilbao and made history in 2024 when they lined up alongside each other for the Basque club, becoming the first set of siblings to do so since 1986.
Unlike the Doué brothers, who occupy opposite ends of the pitch, both Williams siblings are natural wingers known for their pace, dribbling ability and attacking flair.
Iñaki, who currently captains Athletic Bilbao, has enjoyed considerable success with the club, winning two Spanish Super Cups and two Copa del Rey titles. Nico, meanwhile, has already made his mark on both the domestic and international stage. In addition to lifting the Copa del Rey with Athletic Bilbao, he was a key member of Spain's triumphant UEFA Euro 2024 campaign, helping La Roja secure a record fourth European Championship title.
Derrick Luckassen, Brian Brobbey
Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey are half-brothers. The brothers have different fathers, which explains why they carry different surnames. The two men share Ghanaian heritage
Derrick, 30, is a defender and plays for Pafos FC, a football club based in Cyprus. He was included in Ghana's squad after injuries affected Ghana's defensive options. Brian is 24 and plays for English club Sunderland. He remains an integral part of the Dutch national team after establishing himself as one of the country's leading attacking players.
John Souttar, Harry Souttar
John Souttar and Harry Souttar will be representing Scotland and Australia respectively at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
John is the elder brother and plays for Scottish Premiership club Rangers. He has won the Scottish League club once with the Rangers. Harry, who is 27 and two years younger to John, plays for English club Leicester City FC. He represented Scotland in the U-17 age category but switched his allegiance and debuted for the senior Australian national team at 20 years of age. Both John and Harry play as center-backs for their teams.
Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez
In terms of popularity, Lucas Hernandez and Theo Hernandez are the most well-known pair of brothers in world football currently. Unlike the siblings mentioned above, Lucas and Theo, both play for the same international team France. In 2021, they became the first pair of brothers to play for France since 1923. Their father Jean-François Hernández also played for France. The two brothers played at the Atlético de Madrid's youth academy in their formative years and have since gone on to represent some of the biggest clubs in world football.
Lucas currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain. Before moving to PSG, he played for Bayern Munich and also represented Atlético de Madrid's senior team. He is already a World Cup winner as he was part of the French squad that won the World Cup in 2018. Theo plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. Before that he has spent time at AC Milan and Real Madrid and also served loan spells at Real Sociedad and Alves.
Lucas is a defender and plays either as a center-back or left-back. Theo is more of an attacking player and is deployed as an attacking left-back who can move forward to score or assist.
Quinten Timber, Jurriën Timber
Quinten Timber and Jurriën Timber are a pair of twins who play for Netherlands. The two brothers first started playing for Jong Ajax which is the reserve team of legendary Dutch club Ajax. They then went their separate ways.
Quinten, a central midfielder, represented Utrecht and Feyenoord before landing at his current club Olympique Marseille. Jurriën, a right back, meanwhile represented Ajax senior team before moving to Arsenal.
Interestingly, Quinten and Jurriën parents hail from Curaçao, a country that is set to make its World Cup debut at the 2026 World Cup.
Laros Duarte, Deroy Duarte
Laros Duarte and Deroy Duarte will be representing World Cup debutants Cape Verde. Laros is the elder brother and he plays for Hungarian club Puskás Akadémia. Deroy who is 26-year-old and is three years younger to Laros plays for Bulgarian First League club Ludogorets Razgrad. Both were born in the Netherlands but are now representing Cape Verde.
Leandro Bacuna, Juninho Bacuna
The Bacuna brothers will be representing World Cup debutants Curaçao at the 2026 World Cup. Elder brother Leandro, 34, plays either as a midfielder or right-back for TFF First League club Iğdır FK. Juninho 28, also plays in the midfield and plays for Eerste Divisie club Volendam.
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