Desiré and Guéla Doué could meet again at the World Cup. The two siblings are among seven pairs of brothers at this year's tournament, a record number that highlights the deep family ties in football.
A Moment of Brotherhood
In France's warm-up match against Côte d'Ivoire, Guéla Doué scored the equalizer, and the camera immediately panned to his younger brother Desiré on the French bench. Desiré, an unused substitute, wore a wry smile as he watched the celebrations. After the match, which Côte d'Ivoire won 2-1, the brothers embraced. Despite France's defeat, Desiré was happy for his older brother, who has often been overshadowed by his PSG star sibling. "It's a shame I didn't get to play against him, as this was our first France-Ivory Coast match, but I'm happy, and he isn't too fed up," said Guéla.
From Rennes to the World Stage
The Doué brothers, born to a French mother and an Ivorian father, have always been inseparable. When Guéla was invited to a trial for Rennes' youth academy, five-year-old Desiré was seen doing keepy-ups on the sidelines. Both were signed immediately. In 2023, when Guéla made his first-team debut, he replaced his 17-year-old brother Desiré.
Seven Sibling Pairs
The Doués are one of seven sibling pairs at this World Cup. Three other sets play for different teams: Brian Brobbey (Netherlands) and half-brother Derrick Luckassen (Ghana), John Souttar (Scotland) and Harry Souttar (Australia), and Iñaki Williams (Ghana) and Nico Williams (Spain). Three pairs play for the same nation: Lucas and Théo Hernández (France), Laros and Deroy Duarte (Cape Verde), and Leandro Bacuna and Juninho Bacuna (Curaçao). Jurrien and twin brother Quinten (Netherlands) would have made it eight, but Jurrien is injured.
History of Brotherly Encounters
Only one pair of brothers has ever faced each other at a World Cup: Germany's Jérôme Boateng and Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng, who met in 2010 and 2014. Guéla and Desiré Doué could be next, with Côte d'Ivoire a potential opponent for France in the knockout stage. "My brother and I are like twins," Desiré told Téléfoot. "We have this incredible bond. We tell each other everything."
Other World Cup News
Didier Deschamps discussed his legacy with Luke Entwistle, saying, "If I'm still here, it's because the French team has won a lot of games." Meanwhile, Omar Artan, the first Somali referee to officiate at a World Cup, was denied entry to the US due to alleged terror links. He received a hero's welcome in Mogadishu. "Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad," he said.
In other news, David Sullivan faced restrictions over a safeguarding investigation at West Ham. A protest blocked a road near Mexico City's Azteca Stadium days before the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel admitted Bukayo Saka is playing through pain. The Lionesses qualified for the World Cup playoffs despite a 3-0 win over Ukraine. Brazil received eight red cards in a friendly loss to the USWNT. Marco Silva joined Benfica, while José Mourinho moved to Real Madrid. Real Madrid had a €150m bid for Julián Alvarez rejected by Atlético. Lionel Messi scored as Argentina beat Iceland 3-0 in a warm-up. Roy Keane revealed he cleared the air with Bruno Fernandes.
For more, check out team guides, predictions, and features on the World Cup.
