Among the national teams participating in the 2026 World Cup, there are players born into football families, to be more precise, whose fathers were professional footballers.
Medianews.az reports that one of them is the captain of the Norwegian national team, Erling Haaland. Erling's father, Alf-Inge Haaland, played for the Norwegian national team for many years and wore the jerseys of clubs such as England's "Leeds United" and "Manchester City."
Another member of the Norway team, Kristian Thorstvedt, also grew up in a football family. His father, Erik Thorstvedt, is considered one of Norway's most famous goalkeepers and played for England's "Tottenham" club for a long time.
The Dutch national team member Justin Kluivert is the son of Patrick Kluivert, one of the leading forwards in European football in the late 1990s. Patrick Kluivert played an important role in the Netherlands national team's rise to the semifinals of the 1998 World Cup.
The French national team's forward Marcus Thuram's father, Lilian Thuram, was one of the key players who led France to the World Cup victory in 1998.
The Argentina national team also includes players continuing the football tradition in their families. One of them is Giuliano Simeone. His father, Diego Simeone, was the captain of the Argentina national team.
Another member of the Argentina team, Nico Paz, is the son of Pablo Paz, who was part of Argentina's squad in the 1998 World Cup.
One of the interesting figures of the tournament is the goalkeeper of the Algeria national team, Luca Zidane. He is the son of Zinedine Zidane, a living legend of French football and the 1998 World Cup champion. Zinedine is considered one of the greatest players in football history.
The U.S. national team also has good representation from football families. Giovanni Reyna is the son of former captain Claudio Reyna, who participated in four World Cups.
Timothy Weah is also the son of George Weah, a famous figure in African football who once won the "Ballon d'Or" award.
The U.S. national team's midfielder Sebastian Berhalter is the son of Gregg Berhalter, who once played for the national team and later became the head coach of the team.
The Swedish national team member Anthony Elanga's father, Joseph Elanga, played for various European clubs.
The South Korean national team defender Lee Tae-sung is the son of former national team member Lee Young-yong.
The World Cup has been held every four years since 1930 (except for 1942 and 1946 due to World War II).
Uruguay won in 1930 and 1950; Italy in 1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006; Germany (West Germany) in 1954, 1974, 1990, and 2014; Brazil in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002; England in 1966; Argentina in 1978, 1986, and 2022; France in 1998 and 2018; and Spain in 2010.
The 23rd World Cup, starting on July 11, is hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The championship features 48 teams divided into 12 groups. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams earn tickets to the round of 16.
When points are equal, the result of the match between the teams is taken as primary. Other criteria are goal difference, goals scored, fewest official cautions (yellow and red cards), and the team's FIFA ranking position.
Two of the three group stage matches of the 23rd World Cup have been completed. The group stage ends on June 28. The round of 16 will be from June 28 to July 4, the round of 8 from July 4 to 7, the quarterfinals from July 9 to 12, the semifinals on July 14-15, and the third-place match and final on July 19.
Toğrul Ali,
Medianews.az
