Family sagas at the World Cup: brothers, fathers and sons
The Charltons, the Maldinis or the Boatengs: the World Cup is also a story of families passing the baton from one generation to the next.
The World Cup is inherited. Throughout its history, several families have written their own chapters at the World Cup, passing passion and talent from fathers to sons or between brothers.
The most complete example is the Maldinis. Cesare captained Italy and played at the 1962 World Cup; his son Paolo became one of the greatest defenders in history and played four World Cups, including the 1994 runners-up finish. The story took an emotional turn in 1998, when Cesare coached the Italy side captained by his own son.
In England, the saga was written by the Charlton brothers. Bobby, the Manchester United star, and Jack, the Leeds defender, were world champions together in 1966, an unrepeatable feat for two brothers in the same final.
Some sagas even faced off on the pitch. In 2010, the Boateng brothers played on opposing sides: Jérôme for Germany and Kevin-Prince for Ghana, in a family duel in the middle of a World Cup that travelled the world.
From the Uruguayan Forláns to so many surnames that recur edition after edition, these sagas remind us that football is also an inheritance. At every World Cup, someone plays with the weight and pride of a name that shone before.
Source: Wikipedia (Paolo Maldini; Cesare Maldini; Charlton brothers; Boateng brothers).