World Cup 2026: Brothers, Brothers... Nations Apart

The 2026 World Cup will feature an unprecedented four sets of brothers competing for different national teams, a testament to the profound impact of global migration on modern football. This phenomenon underscores how international movement reshapes talent pools and national allegiances.

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Of course we joked a bit with each other before the game.

Among these sibling duos are Désiré and Guéla Doué. While both were born in France, Désiré represents the French national team, while his older brother Guéla plays for Ivory Coast, his father's country of origin. Similarly, Iñaki and Nico Williams, both of Basque heritage, are split between Spain and Ghana. Nico, the younger brother, recently starred for Spain in the 2024 European Championship final, while Iñaki, who will soon turn 32, opted to play for Ghana, the homeland of his parents.

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At the end of the day, we are a family and we are very happy for each other.

Another example is Dutch defender Derrick Luckassen, who joins his maternal half-brother Brian Brobbey on the Netherlands squad. Brobbey, a forward, is coming off a strong second half of the season with Sunderland in the Premier League. In another case, Australian defender Harry Souttar will play alongside his older brother John, who represents Scotland. Both were born in Aberdeen, Scotland, but their mother is Australian, leading Harry to switch his national allegiance.

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It was special, but in a way it was also different four years later.

The article also recalls the unique instance of brothers facing each other in World Cups: Jérôme Boateng for Germany against his half-brother Kevin-Prince for Ghana in 2010 and 2014. This trend of players representing different nations reflects the increasing interconnectedness of the world and the opportunities created by migration for aspiring footballers.

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In 2010 it was truly new, something extraordinary.