Father, son, and the World Cup

Following the first round of group stage matches at the 2026 World Cup, there were many memorable and emotional moments. Among them, the most talked-about image was that of legendary Zinedine Zidane watching from the stands as his son Luca and the Algerian team were "tormented" by Messi.

Luca Zidane will be powerless against Messi's talent at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Getty

Without statistics, it's hard to believe that after the first round of matches, seven players are sons of legends who have represented their national teams at the World Cup, making their debut at this major tournament. These include Sebastian Berhalter of the USA (son of Gregg Berhalter, who played in the 2002 World Cup), Luca Zidane of Algeria (son of Zinedine Zidane), Erling Haaland of Norway (son of Alf-Inge Rasdal Haaland, who played in the 1994 World Cup), Kristian Thorstvedt of Norway (son of Erik Thorstvedt), Francisco Conceicao of Portugal (son of legend Sergio Conceicao), Lee Tae-seok of South Korea (son of Lee Eul-yong, who played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups), and Angus Gunn of Scotland (son of Bryan Gunn, who played in the 1990 World Cup).

The Haaland father and son have been inseparable for many years. Photo: Getty

Thus, a total of 34 father-son pairs have appeared at World Cups throughout the tournament's history. Two more players could potentially add their names to this list if they get to play in upcoming matches: Justin Kluivert of the Netherlands (son of Patrick Kluivert) and Giuliano Simeone of Argentina (son of legendary Diego Simeone).

Although no father-son pair has ever won the World Cup together, the current list, especially at the tournament in the US, could very well be the first to feature a family where both father and son stand at the top of the world . This could only happen if France wins (with Marcus Thuram, son of Lilian Thuram, who won the 1998 World Cup).

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Zidane and his son when both were still playing for Real Madrid. Photo: Getty

The image of Zinedine Zidane cheering on his son, who plays for the Algerian national team, is quite interesting. There's a father-son pair who both played as goalkeepers in the World Cup, Peter and Kasper Schmeichel, but the Zidane family is unique because the father is a superstar midfielder and the son is... a goalkeeper.

In World Cup history, the Zidane father and son duo are only the fifth pair to have played for two different national teams:

Marti Vantolra (Spain, 1934 World Cup) and Jose Vantolra (Mexico, 1970 World Cup).

Vladimir Weiss (Czechoslovakia, 1990 World Cup) and Vladimir Weiss Jr. (Slovakia, 2010 World Cup).

Jan Kozak (Czechoslovakia, 1982 World Cup) and Jan Kozak Jr. (Slovakia, 2010 World Cup).

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Mazinho (Brazil, World Cup 1990, 1994) and Thiago (Spain, World Cup 2018).

If Zidane's son wins this year's tournament, Zidane Sr. will be beaming with pride as the first family to have a father and son both win the World Cup. But in reality, that possibility is almost zero.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/cha-con-va-world-cup-1045088