Football runs in the family: The ties connecting the Men's and Women's World Cups

The 2026 Men’s World Cup, currently underway in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, is undoubtedly the biggest sporting event of the year. Next year, it will be followed by the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027, which will be hosted by Brazil. Which male and female football  players are connected by family or other ties?

Lauren and Reece James

Let’s start with the most typical and obvious pair of all. Lauren and Reece James aren’t just connected by the fact that they’re both footballers. They both also play for Chelsea and the English national team. Lauren is more successful, though, she has a silver medal from the 2023 World Cup and a gold medal from Euro 2025. Reece, playing for the England national team this year, could set challenge for his sister and the Lionesses for next year.

Juliane and Florian Wirtz

Germany's World Cup  2026 campaign came to a disappointing end on 29 June, as they were knocked out by Paraguay on penalties in the Round of 32. The shock exit has sparked heavy criticism back home.

Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz was one of Germany's standout performers throughout the tournament. He started every match, contributed three assists and was widely regarded as one of the few bright spots in an otherwise frustrating campaign.

Following in his footsteps is his older sister, Juliane Wirtz, who currently plays for Werder Bremen. Like Florian, she previously wore the Bayer Leverkusen jersey, but unlike her younger brother, her international experience has so far been limited to Germany's youth women's teams. .

The Wirtz family is a football-loving one. Florian and Juliane are two of ten siblings, although they are the only ones to have pursued the sport professionally.

Ema and Luka Modrić 

A Croatian legend and perhaps his successor. It seems increasingly likely that the ongoing FIFA World Cup will be the last dance of one of the greatest footballers of the modern era, Luka Modrić. The 40-year-old Croatia captain has enjoyed a remarkable career, winning both a World Cup silver medal and bronze medal alongside an extraordinary success on club level.

Fortunately for football fans, the Modrić name may not be disappearing from the sport anytime soon.

His 13-year-old daughter, Ema Modrić, has also chosen to pursue football. She currently plays for AC Milan's youth academy and recently helped the club win the Garino Cup. It is still very early in her journey, but she is already following in the footsteps of one of Croatia's greatest-ever footballers.

Tyler and Jenny Bindon

And now something really extraordinary. We have siblings duos, father and daughter duo but now get ready for mother and son duo who made history.

Tyler and former Football Ferns goalkeeper Jenny Bindon became the first mother-and-son duo ever to feature at FIFA World Cup tournaments. Jenny represented New Zealand at the FIFA Women's World Cup in both 2007 and 2011, while her son has now earned his place on the biggest stage in the men's game this year. Even though New Zealand was among underdogs.

For the Bindon family, it is a remarkable personal milestone. Tyler may be writing the next chapter of his own career, but he is also continuing a legacy that his mother began nearly two decades ago while proudly wearing New Zealand's colours.

Caroline and Fredrik Graham Hansen

Norway's men's national team, led by Martin Ødegaard, qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1998 and will appear at a major international tournament for the first time since UEFA Euro 2000.

The women's national team has enjoyed far greater success. Norway have been regulars at major tournaments for decades and famously lifted the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1995, cementing their place among the pioneers of the women's game.

The Graham Hansen family is another example of football running in the blood. Caroline Graham Hansen is one of Norway's greatest-ever players, with four UEFA Women's Champions League titles among her many achievements. Her younger brother, Fredrik, also pursued a career in football but never broke into the Norwegian senior national team.