The 2026 World Cup prominently highlights several exceptional pairs of brothers who play for either the same country or entirely different countries. These siblings could potentially face each other as direct rivals on the pitch while representing completely different squads, creating an incredibly unique and curious spectacle that always captures the imagination of soccer fans worldwide.
That exact scenario will be the case for eight distinct pairs of siblings at the 2026 World Cup. The way of the modern soccer world means that four sets of brothers currently play for different squads and could go up against one another at some point during the grueling tournament, although none of them will do so during the initial group stage.
This is the list of brothers playing for different squads:
- Inaki Williams and Nico Williams, who play for Ghana and Spain, respectively
- Desire Doue and Guela Doue, who represent France and Ivory Coast, respectively
- John Souttar and Harry Souttar, playing for Scotland and Australia, respectively
- Derrick Luckassen and Brian Brobbey, who represent Ghana and Netherlands, respectively
A potential family reunion in the knockout rounds
If France and Ivory Coast both finish as the respective runners-up in Group I and Group E, there will be an immediate meeting of the Doue brothers in the round of 32. This particular scenario represents the most obvious and direct route to a sibling-on-sibling matchup during the high-stakes knockout stages of the competition.
Desire Doue of PSG
Since 32 of the 48 participating squads successfully progress from the opening group stage, there are numerous mathematical possibilities for even more family showdowns later in the bracket. These potential matchups would undoubtedly add an extra layer of personal drama and intrigue to what are already incredibly high-stakes soccer clashes.
The brothers who represent a single nation
Among the brothers who are set to make history by representing a single country are Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber and his twin brother Quinten Timber. Quinten Timber currently plays as a talented midfielder for French club Marseille, and both siblings are proudly included in the Netherlands squad, though there are even more Dutch family connections to note.
Laros Duarte and his younger brother Deroy Duarte were both originally born in the Netherlands, but could potentially team up together in the midfield for Cape Verde. This family duo adds significant strength to the African squad, who is currently making its historic maiden World Cup appearance on the global stage.
The same situation goes for former Aston Villa right back Leandro Bacuna, who stands as Curacao’s most-capped player in history, and Juninho Bacuna, who previously played for Villa’s bitter rivals Birmingham City. The Bacuna brothers are also completely Dutch-born, but officially declared their international allegiance to Curacao several years ago.
