As the FIFA World Cup 2022 is under way in Qatar, we take a look at some of the second-generation stars who followed their legendary dads' footsteps.
Daley Blind
Ajax's Dutch defender Daley Blind is the son of former Netherlands player Danny Blind who had played for the national team from 1986 to 1996. Danny played in both 1990 and 1994 editions of the FIFA World Cups.
Daley made his World Cup debut in 2014 when the Netherlands came third. At club-level, he had won four consecutive Eredivisie titles with Ajax before he transferred to Manchester United in 2014. He was part of the United when the club won four trophies including the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League. In 2018, Blind returned to Ajax where he won his fifth Eredivisie title.
Marcus Thuram
Marcus Thuram, who is part of France's national team at FIFA World Cup 2022, is the son of former French footballer Lilian Thuram. Lilian had played for the national side from 1994 to 2008. He was a part of the French squad that won the country's maiden World Cup in 1998 and also played in the next two editions of the tournament.
Marcus started his professional career at Sochaux in 2015 and moved to Guingamp in 2017. In 2019, Borussia Mönchengladbach signed Marcus on a four-year deal. He was a member of France U-19 squad that won the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Marcus was called up to the senior team for the first time in 2020.
Kasper Schmeichel
The Danish goal keeper is the son of former Denmark player Peter Schmeichel. Peter was part of the Denmark squad that played at the 1998 World Cup where they reached the quarterfinals. He was the captain of the Manchester United and is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the Premiere League. He led the club to win five Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a Champions League win.
Kasper began his career with Manchester City, but made most number pf competitive appearance for Leicester City. He also won the FA Cup with Leicester. Ironically, both Peter and Kasper won their first ever Premier League title when they were 29-years-old. In 2018 World Cup, Kasper saved three penalties against Croatia in his side’s Round of 16 defeat.
Timothy Weah
Timothy Weah, who represents the United States in the ongoing Qatar World Cup, is the son of Liberia president and former fotballer George Weah. Senior Weah represented Liberia from 1986 to 2002, but the team didn't qualify for a single World Cup during that time.George Weah also played for Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea and won the 1995 Ballon d’Or, becoming the first African to do so.
Timothy signed his first professional contract with PSG at just 17. He also played for Celtic before signing a five-year deal with Lille. He scored a hat-trick for the national team at the U17 World Cup against Paraguay in the round of 16. Timothy says his decision to represent the United States was based on his love of the country and his teammates. He was also eligible to represent France, Jamaica, and Liberia, through residency and his parents' citizenships.
Giovanni Reyna
Giovanni Reyna, son of former Manchester City footballer Claudio Reyna, represents the United States in the Qatar World Cup. His father played for the US in 1998, 2002, and 2006 World Cups. Though Claudio was a member of the US squad at the 1994 World Cup also, he did not play due to an injury.
Giovanni started his career playing for New York City FC from 2015-2019. Since 2019, he has played for Borussia Dortmund and won the DFB-Pokal in 2020/21 with the club. Giovanni made his senior national team debut against Wales in 2020.
André Ayew & Jordon Ayew
Ghana captain André Ayew and his brother and co-player Jordon Ayew are sons of former soccer legend Abedi Pele. Considered one of the greatest African footballers of all time, Abedi had served as the captain of Ghana's national team and also played for several European clubs.
André has been playing internationals for Ghana since 2008 and has earned over 110 caps. Earlier, he captained the Under-20 team that won both the 2009 African Youth Championship and the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He has played in 2010 and 2014 World Cups and seven Africa Cup of Nations.
Jordon made his debut for Ghana national team in 2010 and has earned over 80 caps. He has played in the 2014 World Cup and five Africa Cup of Nations.
