Nepo babies from the World Cup: see a selection of children of former World Cup players
The 2026 World Cup features old known names returning to the world stage, but with new protagonists. Children of champions, idols and players who were present in previous editions of the tournament are on the lawns of the United States, Mexico and Canada looking to build their own history.
The so-called generation of "nepo babies", an expression used to define children of famous people who follow similar paths to their parents, also found space in football. From these family ties, it is possible to assemble a complete selection of players who reached the World Cup with a direct connection to former World Cups.
The defense of the heirs: goalkeeper and defender carry World Cup stories
In goal, the shirt goes to Luca Zidane. Son of Zinedine Zidane, the goalkeeper will defend Algeria in the 2026 World Cup. Born in 1998, Luca was still a baby when his father scored two goals in the final against Brazil and led France to the first world title in its history.
The defense with three defenders mixes different generations. Lee Tae-Seok, from South Korea, is the son of Lee Eul-Young, a member of the historic South Korean team that reached the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.
Next to him appears Mamadou Sarr, from Senegal, who is trying to repeat the path of his father, Pape Sarr, the national team player who surprised the world by eliminating France in the 2002 World Cup opener.
The trio is completed by Tyler Bindon, from New Zealand. The 21-year-old defender joined a curious family story: he and his mother, Jenny Bindon, were the first mother and son duo to compete in editions organized by FIFA. The goalkeeper played for the New Zealand women's team in the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
Midfield has familiar surnames and new promises
In midfield, Argentina appears with two representatives. Giuliano Simeone is the son of Diego Simeone, who played in three World Cups for the Argentine national team. The father was marked at the 1998 World Cup by the episode involving David Beckham's expulsion in the quarter-finals.
Nico Paz, also Argentine, follows in the footsteps of Pablo Paz, defender who was at the 1998 World Cup. Kristian Thorstvedt, from Norway, will have the chance to play in the World Cup in the same country where his father, Erik Thorstvedt, was the starting goalkeeper in 1994.
Damian Bobadilla, from Paraguay, completes the sector. The São Paulo player is the son of Aldo Bobadilla, goalkeeper who was part of the Paraguayan delegations at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
Attack brings together stars and children of historical characters
In the offensive sector, the names gain even more prominence. Marcus Thuram, from France, is the son of Lilian Thuram, one of the symbols of the 1998 champion generation and also a player in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
Justin Kluivert, from the Netherlands, follows in the footsteps of Patrick Kluivert, the striker who scored against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup semi-final.
The big star on the list is Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker wasn't even born yet when his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, played in the 1994 World Cup, in the United States.
In addition to the children: other relatives who also reached the World Cup
The family connection with the 2026 World Cup does not only appear between parents and children. Some players arrive at the tournament with relatives who also wrote chapters in world football.
Marcos Llorente, from Spain, is the great-nephew of Francisco Gento, one of the greatest legends in the history of Real Madrid and a Spanish player in two World Cups.
Rani Khedira, from Tunisia, also carries a well-known surname. The midfielder is the younger brother of Sami Khedira, world champion with Germany in 2014.
Curiosity is also about the children of athletes who marked generations, but never reached the World Cup. Like Abedi Pelé, father of Jordan Ayew, who never played in a World Cup. Another case is that of George Weah, father of American Timothy Weah and winner of the Ballon d'Or, but who never had the opportunity to play with Liberia in the tournament.
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For the first time, three countries will host a World Cup: the United States, Mexico and Canada will host tournament matches. - Disclosure/Fifa
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The 2026 World Cup will be the first in history with 48 participating teams. The new format increases the number of games from 64 to 104. - Disclosure/Fifa
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The opening match of the 2026 World Cup will be played at the Azteca Stadium, in Mexico City, one of the most traditional venues in the history of football. - Photo: Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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The World Cup final is scheduled for July 19, at the MetLife Stadium, in New Jersey, in the United States. - Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images
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The new format of the World Cup will have 12 groups of four teams. The top two from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stages. - Marcio Machado - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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In total, 16 stadiums spread across three countries will host games for the 2026 World Cup, the largest operation ever carried out by FIFA. - Reproduction/FIFA
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The 2026 World Cup champion will need to play eight matches to lift the cup, one more than in previous editions.
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The 2026 edition will feature unprecedented technologies, such as artificial intelligence resources for performance analysis and advanced arbitration systems. - Michael Yanow/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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Brazil arrives in search of its sixth world championship. The team has not won the World Cup since winning the title in 2002. - Michael Regan - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
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FIFA predicts that the 2026 World Cup will be the most watched in history, driven by the increase in the number of teams and matches - Disclosure / FIFA
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Other children of World Cup players who are in 2026
The list of World Cup heirs goes beyond the main squad. Other players from the 2026 World Cup also arrive at the tournament with the support of parents who have already experienced football's biggest stage.
Angus Gunn, Scotland's goalkeeper, is the son of Brian Gunn, who played for the team at the 1990 World Cup. Interestingly, his father faced Brazil in that edition, in a 1-0 defeat.
In Norway, in addition to Haaland and Thorstvedt, Alexander Sørloth also has a connection with Copas. The striker is the son of Gøran Sørloth, who played in the 1994 World Cup.
Francisco Conceição, from Portugal, also appears in the list. The striker is the son of Sérgio Conceição, who played for the Portuguese team at the 2002 World Cup. Giovanni Reyna, from the United States, is the son of Claudio Reyna, the North American captain in four World Cups.
Sebastian Berhalter, also from the United States, follows a different family story: his father, Gregg Berhalter, played in World Cups as a player before leading the national team.
The 2026 World Cup, in addition to the title fight, will be the stage for reunions between generations. Some surnames will appear again in the biggest national team tournament in the world, now with new owners of the shirt.
See the ranking of the most valuable squads of the World Cup
Source: CNN