The 2026 World Cup has a record number of siblings playing. Could that help their teams?
Seven pairs of brothers are competing in the World Cup, some on the same team and some against one another. Sibling rivalries that many see as negative could boost performance for these athletes, a psychologist said.
Playing on a World Cup national team is not unlike being part of a family. Players build brotherly bonds on and off the field in the heat of training, travel and competition. But for a handful of players, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is literally a family affair.
A record seven pairs of siblings are hitting the pitch this year. For some it is a chance to play on the same team but for others, it’s a chance to compete against each other and give sibling rivalries a whole new dimension.
Beyond the novelty, these sibling rivalries could actually be good for the tournament, according to Laurie Kramer, a professor of applied psychology at Northeastern University who studies sibling relationships.
“It’s an interesting dynamic that can create better performance for everybody because they’re working with a partner who’s usually just as invested in success and willing to practice and get good at their game,” Kramer said.
Three pairs of brothers are sporting the same team jersey this year: Leandro and Juninho Bacuna are playing for Curaçao, Theo and Lucas Hernandez are a high profile sibling pair on France’s team and Laros and Deroy Duarte are making history as part of Cape Verde’s first World Cup-appearing team.
Northeastern Global News, in your inbox.
Sign up for NGN’s daily newsletter for news, discovery and analysis from around the world.
There are four sibling pairs representing different countries, however, although none have crossed paths yet. Harry and John Souttar represent Australia and Scotland, respectively. Basque-born Iñaki and Nico Williams are split between Ghana and Spain. Also playing for Ghana is Derrick Luckassen, while his half-brother Brian Brobbey is on the Dutch national team. Desire and Guela Doué are the final split sibling duo, competing for France and Ivory Coast.
“Competition between siblings is not always bad,” Kramer said. “Rivalry is not always bad. We do have assumptions that it is negative, but it can really drive success.”
Siblings are constantly paying attention to what the other is doing and how other people, most importantly their parents, treat the other, Kramer said. Siblings also think about competition differently depending on whether they are older or younger, which can even play into their dynamics on the pitch, she said.
Psychologically speaking, there are two basic processes that impact how these relationships play out. Identification involves one sibling aspiring to be like the other, which can lead them to pursue similar hobbies or experiences, playing the same or similar position on a soccer team for example, and even adopt similar characteristics like a personality or play style, Kramer said. For example, Iñaki and Nico Williams both play as offensive wingers, although on different sides of the field.
Read more World Cup analysis on NGN Offside →
The opposite can also be true, though. With differentiation, one sibling might try to strike out on their own to figure out their own identity separate from their sibling. It’s extremely common, and even healthy, for siblings to do this, Kramer said.
Family dynamics –– how supportive parents are, how much or how little they encourage competition –– also play a role, but competition is always a possibility between siblings, Kramer noted. In a highly competitive setting like the World Cup, it can result in split loyalties between family, team and country that some of the most famous siblings in sports have a habit of reconciling.
Editor’s Picks
Travis and Jason Kelce competed against one another for years in the National Football League but remained supportive of each other’s careers. Desire Doué also recently watched his brother Guela score the opening goal to help Ivory Coast beat France 2-1 in a pre-World Cup friendly match.
“Sure, we teased each other a bit before the match,” Guela told reporters after the match. “In the end, we’re family and we’re very happy for each other.”
Divided duos in this year’s tournament, like the Doué brothers, also highlights how African migration to Europe over the last few decades has opened more opportunities for players from the diaspora to represent African national teams. Algeria, Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia all now have more European-born players than home-born players.
Competition can be valuable even for players on the same team, fostering closer relationships that can potentially translate to better in-game communication and performance, according to Kramer. For sibling teammates it’s a win-win situation, both personally and professionally, one that could pay dividends for fans.
“They’re really interested in enhancing their performance together, so that dynamic could be really helping them,” Kramer said. “But also having those common interests can really solidify their relationship.”
