Families at the XXL tournament
©IMAGO
There will be seven pairs of brothers at the 2026 XXL World Cup. The Duartes from Cape Verde (cumulative market value: 2.8 million euros), the Bacunas from outsiders Curaçao (cumulative market value: 1.95 million euros) and the Hernández brothers Theo and Lucas from vice world champion France (cumulative market value 38 million euros) all play for the same nation. The other four pairs of siblings play for different nations.
Barefoot through the Sahara: The Williams
The Williams brothers Nico and Iñaki (cumulative market value: 48 million euros) have been among the Athletic Bilbao footballers for over a decade. The younger Nico (23) even resisted offers from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid; he signed a contract in Bilbao until 2035. For Iñaki (32), a change was also out of the question so far.
While the brothers wear the same jersey in the club, the two Basques chose different paths in the national team. The Ghanaian parents had made their way to Spain when mother Maria was pregnant with Iñaki. The couple traveled barefoot through the Sahara. Iñaki takes its name from a Spanish priest who helped the parents cross the border. The older brother chose Ghana. Nico, on the other hand, chose Spain and became European champions in 2024 as a regular player.
“As an older brother, I am incredibly proud to see his development and witness his progress as a footballer. He has limitless potential,” Iñaki told the BBC about his brother, who is nine years younger.
Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey
The case for Derrick Luckassen (Ghana) and Brian Brobbey (Netherlands; cumulative market value: 31 million euros) is similar to that of the Boateng brothers Kevin-Prince and Jérôme, who grew up in Germany. Both have the same mother, a Ghanaian, and were born in Amsterdam. Luckassen went through various Dutch youth teams before choosing his parents’ homeland. Brobbey made the jump to the eleven, for which he made it into the 2026 World Cup squad and came on as a substitute in the first game.
Desiré and Guéla Doué
The brothers Desiré and Guéla Doué (cumulative market value 140 million euros) have an Ivorian father and a French mother. Both grew up in France and took their first steps in professional football at Stade Rennes. At 21, Desiré is not only the younger, but also the clearly talented of the two brothers. His resume already includes two Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain. As a result, Desiré decided early on for France and made it into the co-favorites’ World Cup squad. Its market value is now estimated at 120 million euros.
Brother Guéla (23) moved from Rennes to Racing Strasbourg in 2024 and had previously decided on the Ivory Coast. In contrast to his offensive-oriented brother Desiré, Guéla Doué is a full-back.
The Souttar brothers John and Harry
John and Harry Souttar (cumulative market value: €5.5 million) are the offspring of a Scottish-Australian couple. Father Jack is Scottish and was a professional in the 1970s, while mother Heather was born in Adelaide, Australia. The two footballers grew up and were socialized in football in Scotland, but Harry chose Australia, his mother’s home country, in 2019.
“They talk about games all the time. They’re always looking out for each other, that’s for sure,” father Jack said of his two sons. At the start of the World Cup, John and Harry and their teams won their first games on the same day. While John sat on the bench for 90 minutes in his Scots’ 1-0 win against Haiti, Harry, as captain and head of defense for the Australians, was one of the guarantors of the surprising 2-0 win against Turkey.
