At the FIFA World Cup 2026, seven pairs of siblings will play in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.
Remarkably, only four of those pairs will be lining out for the same nation, creating the potential for a family feud. And more than half of the brotherly duos have some connection to the Netherlands.
Unfortunately for the Dutch national team, one of those siblings has had to pull out of the tournament at the last minute. Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber won’t be joining his twin brother Quinten after failing to recover from injury.
Jurriën Timber misses the 2026 World Cup.
The 24-year-old defender has not recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to take part in the World Cup in a medically responsible manner. In consultation with the medical staff, it has therefore been decided that Timber will leave the… pic.twitter.com/r6Wu8FRCfP
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 8, 2026
FIFA World Cup 2026: The eight pairs of siblings playing this summer
Desiré Doué and Guéla Doué
The Doué brothers were born to an Ivorian father and a French mother, meaning they both qualified to play for either nation. While PSG star Desiré represents the country of his birth, Strasbourg defender Guéla opted to pledge his allegiance to the Ivory Coast.
The pair came through the academy system at Rennes alongside the likes of Eduardo Camavinga and Georginio Rutter. Remarkably, three of their cousins are also professional footballers. It must run in the family.
Iñaki Williams and Nico Williams
The Williams were born to Ghanaian parents in Bilbao, Spain, and both play their club football with Athletic Club.
Nico starred for Spain when they won Euro 2024, while Iñaki has the rare distinction of representing three different international teams over the course of his career.
The 31-year-old played for Spain’s U21’s side before getting his one and only cap at senior level in 2016. He later represented the Basque Country on two occasions, before switching allegiance to Ghana in 2022.
John Souttar and Harry Souttar
Born in Aberdeen, the Souttars have gone down completely different paths in their careers. While elder brother John has remained in Scotland, playing for Rangers and the Scottish national team, Leicester City’s Harry has played his club football in England for the last decade and represents Australia internationally.
Harry played for Scotland at youth level before switching to Australia at the U23 grade in 2019. He has since earned 38 senior caps for the Socceroos, scoring an impressive 11 goals.
Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey
Born in Amsterdam, Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey brothers share the same mother but different fathers, which is why they don’t use the same surname.
Sunderland forward Brobbey has played for the Netherlands at every age level up to senior, and played a key role in winning successive European Championships with the U17’s team.
Derrick Luckassen, meanwhile, represented Netherlands from U18 to U21, but plays for Ghana at senior level. The AZ Alkmaar defender won his first cap earlier this year and was a late call-up to the World Cup to replace the injured Alexander Djiku.
They have two other brothers, Samuel and Kevin, who also play football.
Lucas Hernandez and Théo Hernandez
The sons of former footballer Jean-François, Lucas and Theo Hernandez were both born in Marseille but grew up in Spain. The siblings both represent France, but only Lucas was part of the squad that won the World Cup in 2018.
Laros Duarte and Deroy Duarte
The Duarte siblings are two of many foreign-born nationals that helped Cape Verde qualify for the World Cup for the first time in their history. Laros and Deroy were both born in the Netherlands.
Leandro Bacuna and Juninho Bacuna
Continuing the Dutch connection, the Bacuna brothers were born in the Netherlands to parents of Afro-Curaçaoan descent. Leandro, who previously played for Aston Villa, will captain Curaçao at the World Cup. His younger sibling, Juninho, has played for Rangers and Birmingham City in the past.
Read – The clubs with the most players at the 2026 World Cup
See Also – Every Premier League player at the FIFA World Cup 2026
