From Erling Haaland to Luca Zidane: Sons of FIFA World Cup stars ready for their own moment
There have been a total of 27 father-son combinations in World Cup history. That number is expected to grow as the tournament begins in the United States, Canada and Mexico and a new generation of football players follow the paths once blazed by their fathers.
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Some come with the weight of legendary family names, while others are trying to establish their own identities. From Erling Haaland and Luca Zidane to Francisco Conceicao and Giuliano Simeone, these players will bring both national aspirations and family legacies to the tournament.
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Sebastian Berhalter (United States)
Sebastian Berhalter’s World Cup journey mirrors that of his father, Gregg, who represented the United States at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Gregg was part of the American team that reached the quarterfinals in 2002, one of the country’s best performances on the global stage.
The younger Berhalter broke into the national team last year in a 5-1 victory over Uruguay. The Vancouver Whitecaps’ strong performance in Major League Soccer helped solidify their spot on the U.S. roster for their home World Cup.
Francisco Conceicao (Portugal)
Portuguese winger Francisco Conceicao has already shown the ability to succeed in the biggest events. He scored the winner against the Czech Republic in Portugal’s opening match at Euro 2024 and also found the net against Germany in the UEFA Nations League semi-final.
His father, Sergio Conceicao, represented Portugal at the 2002 World Cup and the family name remains synonymous with Portuguese football.
Lee Taeseok (South Korea)
South Korean defender Lee Taeseok is following in the footsteps of his father, Lee Eul-yong, who was a member of the country’s historic squad that reached the home semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.
The elder Lee scored in South Korea’s third-place play-off defeat against Türkiye, while Taeseok emerged as one of the country’s promising defenders and was recognized for his performances at both club and international level.
Angus Gunn (Scotland)
Goalkeeper Angus Gunn inherits his international pedigree from his father, Bryan Gunn, who was part of Scotland’s 1990 World Cup squad.
Angus, who represented England at youth level before switching sides, became Scotland’s first-choice goalkeeper. Despite an injury-disrupted season, he remains a key figure as Scotland prepare for another World Cup campaign.
Erling Haaland (Norway)
Few sons have eclipsed their fathers as dramatically as Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City striker is already one of the most prolific goalscorers of his generation; His father, Alfie Haaland, represented Norway in the 1994 World Cup. Norway’s return to football’s biggest stage gives Erling the opportunity to add a World Cup chapter to a career already full of records and trophies.
Justin Kluivert (Netherlands)
Justin Kluivert bears one of the most recognizable surnames in Dutch football.
His father, Patrick Kluivert, played for the Netherlands in the 1998 World Cup and scored important goals in helping the Dutch reach the semi-finals. Justin has earned his place in the national team after an impressive season at Bournemouth and will be hoping to make his mark on the tournament.
Giuliano Simeone (Argentina)
Giuliano, the son of Argentina’s great star Diego Simeone, has steadily emerged from his father’s shadow.
Diego represented Argentina at three World Cups and was a central figure in some of the tournament’s most memorable moments, including the dramatic encounter with England in 1998 in which David Beckham was sent off.
Giuliano, now 22, has become a regular at Atletico Madrid under his father’s management and an increasingly important member of Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squad.
Kristian Thorstvedt (Norway)
Norwegian midfielder Kristian Thorstvedt helped secure qualification with a memorable victory over Italy and now has the chance to emulate his father Erik Thorstvedt.
The former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper represented Norway at the 1994 World Cup; Here, the Scandinavian country was unfortunately eliminated from the group stage, despite finishing on the same points as the other teams in its group.
Luca Zidane (Algeria)
Luca Zidane may have the most famous surname on this list.
Luca, the son of France legend Zinedine Zidane, who led Les Bleus to World Cup victory in 1998, represented France at youth level before moving internationally to Algeria.
A goalkeeper by profession, he made his debut for Algeria in 2024 and can now be part of another chapter in one of football’s most famous family stories.
For all these players, the World Cup presents a unique challenge. Their father has already left his mark on football history. The task now is not just to honor those legacies, but to create legacies of our own.
