Legacy on the field: meet the World Cup players who are children of former athletes who have already competed in the competition

Meet the World Cup players who are children of former athletes who have already competed in the competition
The 2026 World Cup has brought together stories that go beyond the pitch. Among them, players who followed in their parents' footsteps and also compete in the main world football tournament.
In some cases, the children have already managed to go beyond the previous generation. Norway is the main example. The team features Erling Haaland, Alexander Sørloth and Kristian Thorstvedt, three athletes whose fathers also defended the country in World Cups. While the 1994 generation team was eliminated in the group stage, the current team has already secured a place in the quarter-finals and is having the best campaign in the team's history in the tournament.
The legacy also appears within families. Kristian Thorstvedt stated that living the same experience as his father is a source of pride, but recognized that surpassing the previous generation's campaign made the moment even more special.
In the stands, the former players experience the World Cup in a different way. Alf-Inge Haaland, for example, closely follows the performance of his son Erling, one of the highlights of the World Cup. Between celebrations and moments of tension, he experiences the mix of emotions of supporting the team and his own son at the same time.
Argentina also has a remarkable history. Diego Simeone, who played in three World Cups, now follows Giuliano Simeone as a fan. At Atlético de Madrid, the father is his son's coach. In the Argentine team, the roles change, and Diego starts to experience the competition from the stands.
Giuliano revealed that he chose to wear "Simeone" on the team's shirt as a way of honoring his family. At the Spanish club, he uses only his first name to build his own trajectory, but he stated that wearing his last name for Argentina is a source of pride for his parents.
The list of families present at the World Cup also includes Nico Paz, son of former player Pablo Paz, who played in the 1998 World Cup for Argentina, and Marcus Thuram, France striker and son of world champion Lilian Thuram, one of the main names in the French victory in 1998.
In common, they all carry the same mission: to transform the legacy inherited in new chapters in the history of their own families. After all, in different generations, the DNA remains the same: World Cup.
Meet the World Cup players who are children of former athletes who have already competed in the competition
Reproduction/TV Globo
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Source: G1