World Cup history: Four sets of brothers who found the net on football's biggest stage
With the 2026 World Cup four days away, attention has turned to the rare list of brothers who scored at the tournament. The feat spans four families, while only the Walters and Charltons also won the trophy.
- Jun 08, 2026,
- Updated Jun 08, 2026, 9:19 AM IST
- Ottmar and Fritz Walter both scored twice against Austria in 1954
- Willy and Rene van de Kerkhof scored once each in 1978
- Socrates and Rai converted penalties on their Brazil World Cup debuts
With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to begin in four days, football's biggest tournament once again turns the spotlight on records and milestones that have shaped its history. Among the more unusual achievements is a feat shared by only a handful of families — brothers who have scored at the World Cup.
The first siblings to achieve the distinction were West Germany's Ottmar and Fritz Walter during the 1954 World Cup, a tournament that ended with their country's maiden title. Ottmar scored four goals, and Fritz added three, with both brothers finding the net twice in a 6-1 victory over Austria in Basel.
The Netherlands' Willy and Rene van de Kerkhof became the second pair of brothers to score at the tournament. Members of the Dutch squads that reached the finals in both 1974 and 1978, the twins scored a goal each during the 1978 campaign.
Brazil's Socrates and Rai followed with a remarkable coincidence. Both scored on their World Cup debuts as captains of Brazil, converting second-half penalties in victories over the Soviet Union and Russia, respectively. Socrates achieved the feat in 1982, while Rai repeated it 12 years later at the 1994 tournament.
Denmark's Michael and Brian Laudrup are the most recent brothers to have scored at the World Cup. Michael registered goals in the tournament during his international career, while Brian scored twice on football's biggest stage.
While several brothers have appeared and scored at the World Cup, only two sets of siblings have lifted the trophy. The Walter brothers were part of West Germany's victorious 1954 side, while England's Jack and Bobby Charlton became world champions in 1966.
