It is the ultimate test for any parent.<\/p>\n
Two sons playing on opposite teams in a match. Who are you rooting for?<\/p>\n
But this is not a kickabout in the local park or a schools’ match. This is a game at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
Advertisement<\/p>\n
There are four sets of siblings playing for different nations on the biggest stage of all, including Desire and Guela Doue who could face one another this summer.<\/p>\n
Born to a French mother and an Ivorian father in the French city of Angers<\/a>, the brothers play for Paris St-Germain<\/a> and Strasbourg<\/a> respectively.<\/p>\n They have taken different paths in international football, with two-time Champions League winner Desire, 21, turning out for France<\/a> and overlapping full-back Guela, 23, playing for Ivory Coast<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We tell each other everything and have no secrets,” Desire told French football programme Telefoot about his relationship with his older brother.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “He’s such a massive support for me in my daily life.”<\/p>\n But could their close bond be tested in the United States?<\/p>\n Should France finish runners-up in Group I and Ivory Coast finish runners-up in Group E, the pair will face one another in the last-32 stage in Arlington, Texas, on 30 June.<\/p>\n When Ivory Coast defeated France 2-1 in a pre-World Cup friendly on 4 June, Guela sang both countries’ national anthems before the match.<\/p>\n Desire, who had won won the Champions League with PSG five days earlier, was an unused substitute.<\/p>\n “It’s a shame I didn’t get to play against [my brother], as this was our first France-Ivory Coast match, but I’m happy, and he isn’t too fed up,” said Guela afterwards.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n There has been only one previous case of siblings squaring off against \u2060each other at the World Cup,<\/a> and it happened in back-to-back tournaments.<\/p>\n Jerome Boateng<\/a> of Germany<\/a> faced older half-brother Kevin Prince of Ghana<\/a> in Johannesburg in 2010. Germany won 1-0. Four years later, the pair were on opposite sides again in Brazil<\/a> when \u2060the group game ended 2-2.<\/p>\n Desire and Guela could well be next.<\/p>\n So, who are the other brothers appearing at this World Cup?<\/p>\n The Williams brothers Inaki and Nico are both Basque-born and play together for Atletico Bilbao<\/a>.<\/p>\n But it is a different story when it comes to international football.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n While Nico, 23, was player of the match when Spain<\/a> beat England<\/a> in the European Championship final two years ago, older brother \u200bInaki, 32, turns out for Ghana.<\/p>\n Australia<\/a> have selected Aberdeen-born centre-back Harry Souttar<\/a>, 27, whose brother John, 29, is also at the World Cup with Scotland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Their mother, Heather, is Australian, and Harry played for Scotland at youth level before switching his allegiance in 2019.<\/p>\n John debuted for Dundee United at the age of 16 and Scotland at 21. Harry captained Australia in their opening 2-0 win over Turkey<\/a> in the group stage.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Ghana’s Dutch-born defender Derrick Luckassen<\/a>, 30, joins his half-brother Brian Brobbey<\/a>, 24, at the tournament.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Sunderland<\/a> striker Brobbey came on as a late substitute in the Netherlands’ opening group game, a 2-2 draw with Japan.<\/a><\/p>\n They share the same mother but have different fathers.<\/p>\n In addition to the four sets of siblings playing for different countries, there are a further three lots of brothers representing their nations at this tournament.<\/p>\n Laros Duarte<\/a>, 29, started for Cape Verde<\/a> against Spain on 17 June and was replaced by his younger brother Deroy, 26, in the 61st minute in Atlanta.<\/p>\n And the Rotterdam-born siblings helped the Blue Sharks secure a highly impressive point as the debutants held the 2010 world champions to a shock goalless draw.<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n “We saw our parents cry,” Laros said after the match. “The feeling is difficult to describe, it’s just something you dream of.”<\/p>\n Curacao<\/a> are the smallest nation ever, by size and population, to take part in a World Cup.<\/p>\n For a few minutes against Germany on 14 June they dared to dream after equalising before falling away and losing 7-1.<\/a><\/p>\n The team included the Bacuna brothers – former Aston Villa<\/a> midfielder Leandro, 34, and Juninho, 28, once of Birmingham City and Rangers.<\/p>\n “It’s one thing that we always wished for – when we were kids we dreamed of playing together in one team on one pitch,” said Juninho.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n France, one of the powerhouses at this tournament, have Lucas, 30, and Theo Hernandez<\/a>, 28, in their squad who play their club football for Paris St-Germain and Al Hilal respectively.<\/p>\n “They have this family bond,” France boss Didier Deschamps said when the brothers started together for Les Bleus<\/a> for the first time in 2021.<\/p>\n “This does not mean that it changes anything, but I will be dealing with two players who have this connection.”<\/p>\n\n
Brothers playing for different countries<\/h2>\n
‘We saw our parents cry’<\/h2>\n