Mostafa Shobeir has etched his name into the folklore of Egyptian football after featuring in Egypt’s opening match against Belgium at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Al Ahly goalkeeper has officially become the first player in Egypt’s history to follow in his father’s footsteps by playing in the World Cup. His father, the legendary Ahmed Shobeir, famously guarded the Pharaohs’ net during the Italy 1990 edition, keeping one clean sheet in three group stage matches.
Globally, there are over 27 recorded instances of fathers and sons both playing in the World Cup. The most iconic remains Italy’s Maldini dynasty, with Cesare Maldini featuring in the 1962 edition, followed by his son Paolo, who starred in four consecutive tournaments between 1990 and 2002.
In the goalkeeping department, the most notable father-son duo is Denmark’s Schmeichel family. Peter Schmeichel played in the 1998 World Cup in France, while his son Kasper represented the Scandinavian nation in both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
The Dual-Nationality Exceptions: Alcantara and Luca Zidane
There are also unique cases where a father and son represent different nations at the tournament. This happened with Thiago Alcântara, who played for Spain at Russia 2018, whereas his father, Mazinho, won the tournament with Brazil at USA 1994.
Luca Zidane to Follow Suit: Interestingly, this cross-border feat is set to be repeated in the 2026 edition by goalkeeper Luca Zidane. Luca is representing Algeria at this World Cup, while his father, the legendary Zinedine Zidane, cemented his status as a French icon by lifting the trophy with Les Bleus in 1998.
