It is less than 24 hours to the kick-start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The anticipation is now getting higher, and the world is eager to see what unfolds in the latest edition of the FIFA World Cup.
It is less than 24 hours to the kick-start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The anticipation is now getting higher, and the world is eager to see what unfolds in the latest edition of the FIFA World Cup.
One of the anticipations will be seeing blood brothers sweating it out for different countries at the World Cup. Over the years we have witnessed brothers play for the same countries and a few times, we have seen brothers play for different countries at the Mundial.
The latest additions to the list of brothers playing in the FIFA World Cup are Athletic Bilbao’s strike partners - Inaki Williams who will be flying the flag of Ghana at the tournament and Nico Williams who is looking to help the Spanish team win their second World Cup trophy.
The La Liga stars will be added to a very long list of siblings having the opportunity to play at this tournament. The duo have combined well for Athletic Bilbao in attack this season but will now face the battle at the biggest football stage individually.
Inaki, 28, switched allegiances to Ghana in 2022 after no further representation with the Spanish national team, whom he had played for twice earlier. Inaki’s decision to play for the Black Stars is not as far-fetched as his parents are originally Ghanaians, even though he had claimed he was more Spaniard than Ghanian because he was born in Spain.
My parents are from Accra. But I wasn't born or raised there, my culture's here, and there are players for whom it would mean more. I don't think it would be right to take the place of someone who really deserves to go and who feels Ghana 100%
But while the older Williams has worked his way into the hearts of Ghanaians, the younger WIlliams has been able to convince the head coach of the Spanish team, Luis Enrique, and he will be representing Spain at this year’s World Cup.
Nico, 20 will have a chance to make a name with La Roja and this will also determine his future with the team. The young striker will however face lots of competition to get in Enrique’s first eleven.
Spain and Ghana are however drawn in different groups in the tournament: hence the brothers cannot play against each other unless in the latter stages of the tournament.
With the latest additions confirmed, here are the previous brothers that have played in the FIFA World Cup, either as teammates or for different countries.
- Jack and Bobby Charlton - 966 and 1970 World Cups
- Rene and Willy van de Kerkhof - 1974 and 1978
- Erwin and Ronald Koeman - 1990
- Frank and Ronald de Boer - 1994 and 1998
- Yaya and Kolo Toure - 2010 and 2014
- Andre and Jordan Ayew - 2010, 2014 and 2022
- Jonathan and Giovani dos Santos - 2018
- Eden and Thorgan Hazard - 2018 and 2022
- Wison, Johnny and Jerry Palacios -2010
- Brian and Michael Laudrup - 1998
- Jerome and Prince Boateng - 2010 and 2014
Only Inaki’s Ghanian teammates, the Ayew brothers have played in three different World Cup tournaments making a record, how many World Cup tournaments will the Williams brothers play together?
