Tuesday, 9th June 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 9th June 2026, 1:45 PM
The forthcoming football World Cup, scheduled to commence on 11 June, is poised to showcase a unique genealogical phenomenon, with “seven and a half pairs”—or 15 brothers—set to participate. Initially, eight full pairs of siblings were expected to feature. However, an injury to one player reduced the final count. Among these siblings, four pairs represent identical national teams, while the remaining four pairs have elected to represent different countries.
Direct encounters between brothers on opposing sides remain an absolute rarity in tournament history. To date, such a manifestation has occurred only twice, involving a single pair of siblings: Jérôme Boateng and Kevin-Prince Boateng.
2010 World Cup: During the group stage, Germany secured a 1–0 victory over Ghana. Jérôme Boateng featured for Germany, while his elder brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng, donned the Ghanaian jersey.
2014 World Cup: Four years later, the brothers faced each other once more in the group stage under identical team allocations. That encounter concluded in a 2–2 draw.
Four pairs of brothers were originally selected to represent the same countries. This contingent includes debutant nations and established European squads:
France: Lucas Hernandez and Theo Hernandez have both been included in the French squad.
Netherlands: Jurriën Timber and Quinten Timber were both selected for the Dutch team. However, Jurriën Timber was subsequently ruled out of the tournament due to an injury, making this the “half pair” of the tournament statistics.
Cape Verde: Making their World Cup debut, the nation has called up Laros Duarte and Deroy Duarte.
Curaçao: Also awaiting their tournament debut, the Curaçao squad includes Leandro Bacuna and Juninho Bacuna.
Global migration and ancestral ties have led four pairs of brothers to choose different international allegiances. The specific details regarding their heritage, ages, and chosen nations are structured below:
| Sibling Names | Birthplace | International Team Selection & Background |
|
Guela Doué & Désiré Doué |
France | Both were born in France. The elder brother, Guela, chose his father’s homeland, Ivory Coast, whilst Désiré represents France. |
|
Inaki Williams (32) & Nico Williams (23) |
Basque Province, Spain | Born to Ghanaian parents in Spain. The elder sibling, Inaki (32), plays for Ghana, whereas the younger, Nico (23), plays for Spain. |
|
Derrick Luckassen & Brian Brobbey |
Netherlands | The maternal siblings share the same mother but have different fathers. Derrick operates as a centre-back for Ghana, while Brian acts as a backup striker for the Netherlands. |
|
John Souttar & Harry Souttar |
Aberdeen, Scotland | Born to an Australian mother. The younger brother, Harry, obtained Australian citizenship seven years ago and plays for Australia. His elder brother by two years, John, plays for Scotland. |
According to the official group stage fixtures, there will be no direct on-pitch sibling rivalries during the initial phase of the tournament. Nevertheless, the brothers have already crossed paths during the pre-tournament preparatory phase.
Last week, France secured a 2–1 victory over Ivory Coast in a warm-up friendly. Guela Doué scored for Ivory Coast, while his brother, Désiré Doué, watched the proceedings from the stadium gallery. Reflecting on the match, Guela Doué stated:
“Yes, we had some banter before the match. But at the end of the day, we are one family and we are incredibly happy for each other.”
Over the past few decades, waves of migration into Europe have unlocked a massive pool of talent for African football associations. These nations actively recruit European-born players of African descent. Consequently, in the 26-man tournament squads of World Cup regulars such as Algeria, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Senegal, and Tunisia, the number of European-born footballers now exceeds those born within their respective home nations.
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