The 2026 World Cup will see eight sets of brothers competing, but they aren’t all representing the same nation as their siblings.

This year’s 48-team tournament is the biggest in the competition’s history, meaning even more countries are given the opportunity to perform on the biggest stage. That also means the number of players showcased in the United States, Canada and Mexico has increased massively.

However, it’s still a surprise to see as many as eight sets of siblings make it to world football’s biggest competition. It’s even more mind-blowing to learn that four of them play for a different country to their brothers.

2026 World Cup Brothers on the Same Side

Some of the more famous brother duos to play at World Cup finals include the Ayews (Jordan and Andre) and the Hazards (Eden and Thorgan). The former both participated for Ghana, while the latter pair appeared as Belgium players.

Following that trend are Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber and his brother, Quinten. The versatile duo are both part of Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad. They’ll be delighted to hear they’ve even been predicted to win the whole competition.

Lucas and Theo Hernandez are in the unique position that they are actually competing with each other for the same position in France’s starting XI. The defenders are both left-footed and will hope to be the left-back for Didier Deschamps this summer.

Elsewhere, Laros Duarte and Deroy Duarte are both heading to the competition as Cape Verde make their first-ever World Cup appearance. Likewise, Leandro and Juninho Bacuna are playing for Curacao, with the latter captaining his country.

Siblings Competing Against Each Other

The most high-profile set of relatives on opposing sides this summer are the Williams brothers. Nico was a key part of Spain’s Euro 2024 success and is part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad once again. His older brother, meanwhile, will face England as part of Ghana’s hopeful unit.

Desire Doue got firsthand experience of what could happen if his France side come up against Ivory Coast and his sibling, Guela, this summer. In a pre-tournament friendly, the Strasbourg full-back scored and registered an assist as the Africans defeated Les Bleus.

Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey was called up to the Netherlands squad after an impressive debut season in England. His brother, Derrick Luckassen, is a centre-back for Ghana.

The Souttars are heading to the competition. Both are central defenders and are expected to have starting roles for their respective nations. Harry will represent Australia, while John plays for Steven Clarke’s Scotland.

Rio Ngumoha is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about young players in world football after impressive displays for Liverpool during the 2025-26 season.

The 17-year-old also recently made his debut for England’s senior team in a pre-World Cup friendly against New Zealand. Ngumoha is a tricky left-winger who rose through Chelsea‘s youth ranks before heading to Liverpool. The Blues were left furious over his departure as they lost one of their most celebrated teenage talents to an arch-rival.

The English attacker, who forced his way into Arne Slot’s plans at the end of the season with lightning displays, is expected to be given more minutes next season under Andoni Iraola, but his talent was spotted long before he ever stepped onto the Anfield turf.

Liverpool Deleted and Edited Clips of Eye-Catching Ngumoha

Ngumoha, when he was just 16, had been so impressive in training against Liverpool’s first-team stars that his superb dribbling abilities caused them problems. The Reds were trying to calm the hype surrounding the former Chelsea academy starlet by editing footage of him in training, per Anfield Watch.

The report noted: ‘Ngumoha regularly terrorises first team players in training and the club has had to delete and edit out footage of his performances from the Inside Training video series in a bid to contain the hype surrounding the 16-year-old.’

This speaks volumes about how exciting a talent Ngumoha already was in late 2024 as the club looked to manage the expectations of the winger. The pressure that comes with the spotlight of English football can either make or break a footballer’s career early on, so it makes sense to protect him on that front – while they also didn’t want to attract attention from rival teams who could try and swoop in and steal the youngster (much like they did from Chelsea).

John Terry, who worked closely with Ngumoha as part of the coaching setup at Chelsea’s academy, is well aware of just how much potential the teenager has. He gave a glowing verdict amid his move to Anfield:

Arne Slot Hinted at Believing in Youth Amid Ngumoha’s Rise

Liverpool has a rich history of blending youth with world-class talent, which was the case during Klopp’s reign at Anfield. The German turned to the likes of Jayden Danns, Bobby Clark and James McConnell, all teenagers who were on the pitch in a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final. They were known as ‘Klopp’s Kids’, as the club’s beloved former coach placed his faith in the academy.

There were question marks regarding Slot doing so when he replaced Klopp at the helm, but he initially suggested he’d be open-minded with affording the youth game time. He said (via This is Anfield):

While he suggested youth would be given a chance, Slot appeared to leave it too long before trusting the ex-Chelsea youngster. Ngumoha started just five games in a poor campaign for the Reds, but still managed to be the highlight in each of them. Had the manager unleashed him sooner, he may have had a better chance at keeping his job.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt as of 07/06/26.

All 48 teams that will compete in the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, have now named their 26-man squads for this summer’s tournament. Naturally, the first thing fans looked for in each announcement was the star names included — and, just as importantly, those who missed out.

For neutrals, however, judging a team’s chances solely by the name on the back of the shirt can be something of a fool’s errand. Indeed, Spain, France and Argentina are among the favourites for their talented squads, while England will be hoping to finally end a 60-year international trophy drought under Thomas Tuchel.

That said, experience and tournament know-how can often be another overlooked-yet-useful yardstick for success. There is a caveat, though: younger squads can play with a freedom and fearlessness that sometimes catches more seasoned opponents off guard. With that in mind, and thanks to Rotowire, every World Cup squad has been ranked from oldest to youngest, and the results are interesting.

48-41

“Brazilian” and “wonderkid” often go hand in hand in football, with Europe’s biggest clubs regularly vying for the nation’s brightest young talents during the summer transfer window. But in his first major tournament as an international manager, Carlo Ancelotti has largely opted for experience over youth, overlooking many products of Brazil’s world-renowned academies. Endrick and Rayan are among the few exceptions in a squad that averages 28.65 years of age.

That places Brazil 41st on this list, narrowly ahead of both Egypt – who will hope Mohamed Salah can turn back the clock – and Scotland, who will harbour ambitions of a historic tournament led by the experience and leadership of Andrew Robertson and John McGinn. The Tartan Army also have the oldest player heading stateside, with backup goalkeeper Craig Gordon being 43.

Elsewhere, Colombia also feature in this bracket with an average age of 29.58. However, Panama take the unwanted crown as the oldest squad at the tournament, boasting an average age of 30. More strikingly, they do not have a single player under the age of 23 in their squad – a potential warning light on the dashboard for future tournaments.

40-31

If Argentina are to retain the title Lionel Messi masterminded in 2022, they will have to do so with a squad averaging 28.62 years of age. That places them 40th in the rankings, behind Paraguay (28.54), World Cup debutants DR Congo (28.50), and South American rivals Uruguay (28.19).

Austria sit 36th and, given their reputation as perennial dark horses on the international stage, it would be no surprise to see the likes of Marcel Sabitzer and David Alaba help Ralf Rangnick’s side punch above their weight once again. Jordan and Uzbekistan – both preparing for their first World Cup appearances – are next on the list, while Saudi Arabia’s squad strikes a balance between youth and experience, with just four players over 30 and three under 23, resulting in an average age of 27.96.

Croatia’s finest years may now be behind them, with the end of their golden generation appearing ever closer in the rear-view mirror. Even so, they can still call upon the playmaking wizardry of captain Luka Modric, whose experience and quality could keep the engine room running smoothly this summer.

30-21

At 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to appear at his sixth World Cup. If he scores at any point during the tournament, he will become the first player to find the net in six different World Cups. It’s little surprise that his presence inflates Portugal’s average age somewhat, especially given that the world’s fifth-ranked nation also boasts five players under the age of 23.

Portugal are the joint 27th-oldest team heading to the United States this summer, with the Nations League winners level with Germany and Curacao on an average age of 27.54. They are also marginally younger than New Zealand, the lowest-ranked side in the tournament. Other notable nations in this bracket include the Netherlands, Turkey and Japan, with the latter two boasting four players over 30 and three younger than 23.

20-11

Belgium, much like Croatia, are continuing their transition away from a golden generation that many feel should have had more silverware to show for its talents. While established stars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku remain central figures in a squad entering its autumn years, a new wave of talent is emerging to carry the torch. Zeno Debast, Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere are among the young stars helping to ensure the cupboard is far from bare.

Haiti and Sweden are the final two squads with an average age above 27, while Australia (26.88) and Iraq (26.65) sit just below that mark. As a result, they fall into the sweet spot between youth and experience – blending wise heads with fearless legs. Senegal fit that mould too, possessing a squad capable of marrying energy with tournament know-how, hoping they can keep their cool to avoid the controversies that led to the stripping of their AFCON title.

Ranked 14th, England’s well-balanced squad appears to have all the ingredients needed to bring football home. The absences of Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are obvious talking points, but with Harry Kane in the form of his life and surrounded by prime-age talent such as Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka, Thomas Tuchel may have little reason to dwell on the what-ifs. On paper, the Three Lions have both the firepower and the balance to go deep into the tournament, and they are only marginally older than France’s super team and the host nation, the United States.

10-1

Ghana (26.42) have seven players under the age of 23, putting them joint-top among squads with the highest concentration of youngsters, alongside South Africa (26.35), Morocco (25.92), and Ecuador (25.58). The latter of that quartet boast the second-youngest squad in the tournament, with Kendry Paez already regarded as one of the brightest young talents in world football.

The youngest squad, however, belongs to Ivory Coast, with an average age of just 25.35, and only three players over the age of 30 selected. Great expectations are likely to rest on their shoulders – particularly Yan Diomande, who finds himself as the only teenager in the squad while also at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

Another key talking point from the top 10 is that Euro 2024 winners and current favourites for the tournament, Spain, boast the sixth-youngest squad. That, however, should be no burden for La Roja, whose youthful core – including Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Gavi – are already riding the wave of success from just two summers ago.