Summary
Father/son duos are something of a rarity in sport as a whole, let alone just football, given how hard it is to form a career.
There have still, however, been some incredible fathers and sons to have played the game.
Of all entrants on the list, 10 players mentioned are still playing football at the time of writing.
Father-son duos are something of a rarity at the highest levels of football. It is understandable, for a number of reasons. Predominantly, it is an immensely hard road to the top, so for two members of the same family to achieve that is no small feat. Though there have only been a relative handful, there are still a number of father-son duos that have been seen within the game.
Sometimes, the two play the same position, even for the same team, but it is just as likely that the pair will have excelled in different areas. More often than not, it feels the child, or children, of some of football's best-ever players never reach the level of their father, perhaps due to the pressure that accompanies their surname.
There are some instances of this, though. Where father and son both managed to play within the elite bracket of competition, be it the Premier League or another top league. So, just who are the 11 best father-son duos in football history?
EPL_Best Wonderkids Related
10 Best Wonderkids in Football History [Ranked]
Which wonderkids who were hyped up fulfilled and exceeded expectations in their careers?
Ranking Factors
Success - An obvious but crucial component, how much success did each pairing enjoy individually?
Legacy - How well-remembered is each entrant? Together, how much are their family remembered for their actions?
Best Father/Son Duos in Football History
Rank
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
11 Mazinho, Thiago and Rafinha
Capable of playing as either a midfielder or a full-back, Mazinho enjoyed a professional career spanning 16 years. He spent the bulk of his career in his native Brazil with Vasco da Gama. He spent time in Italy with Lecce and Fiorentina before returning to Brazil and joining Palmeiras, who he left after two years in 1994 to join Valencia, going onto play for Celta Vigo and Elche before returning to his home country.
Mazinho also spent five years as a Brazilian international and played a big part in helping his country win the 1994 World Cup, starting the final as a right midfielder against Italy, who Brazil beat on penalties after a 0-0 game.
A father to two sons, Mazinho’s youngest child, Rafinha, began his career with Barcelona. The midfielder would spend time with Celta Vigo, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Sociedad in Europe before moving to Al-Arabi, who he left earlier this year. In 2015, Rafinha made two appearances for the Brazil national team, following in his father’s footsteps.
Mazinho’s eldest son is perhaps better known in the footballing world. Thiago Alcantara also started his career with Barcelona, moving to Germany in 2013 to join Bayern Munich where, in seven years, he won seven-straight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League. A move to Liverpool came in 2020, though Thiago was blighted by injuries which contributed to his retirement earlier this year.
10 Alf-Inge and Erling Haaland
After playing for Bryne in his native Norway for four years, Alf-Inge, or Alfie, Haaland, moved to England in 1993 to join Nottingham Forest, where he played for four further seasons and racked up over 80 appearances in all competitions. In 1997, he joined Leeds United and was part of the Leeds teams that ventured deep into European competitions.
While at Leeds, Haaland criticised Roy Keane in a game against Manchester United where he thought the midfielder was feigning injury when in fact, he had injured his ACL. Haaland moved to Manchester City in 2000 and the following year, against Manchester United, Keane committed a knee-high tackle on Haaland which he later admitted had been planned.
Haaland had a son whilst playing for Leeds and Erling, after stints with Bryne and Molde, joined Red Bull Salzburg in 2019, where he began to establish himself as a player. Borussia Dortmund acquired his services just six months after Haaland’s move to Austria and for the Schwarzgelben, Haaland scored 86 goals in just 89 games.
His form led to a 2022 move to Manchester City, who paid a release clause for the Norwegian international. Still a City player, Haaland has gone from strength to strength. He has already reached over 100 goals for City, helping them become the second English team to achieve a European treble.
Erling Haaland Related
Robbie Keane: Erling Haaland the 'closest thing to Alan Shearer'
Robbie Keane dubs Man City striker Erling Haaland as 'ridiculous' due to the sheer amount of goals he has scored in such a short space of time.
9 Abedi Pele, Andre and Jordan Ayew
On the whole, Abedi Pele had a nomadic footballing career and its beginning was no different. It was only in 1987, when he moved to Marseille, that he found some stability, though even then, he spent two years of his six-season tenure on loan at Lille. One of the first African players to make a massive impact on European football, Pele came to be known for both his playmaking and finishing, being capable of playing in midfield or attack.
Pele has four sons in total, two of which have gone on to make a name for themselves in football. Andre Ayew is perhaps best known in England for his stints with West Ham United and Swansea City. The Ghana international is the most-capped player in his country’s history and also spent some time with Nottingham Forest in 2023, having debuted in football for Marseille in 2007 and spending eight years there.
Andre’s younger brother, Jordan Ayew, also started his career with Marseille, but has been in England for almost a decade. First with Aston Villa, Jordan then moved to Swansea City before joining Crystal Palace in 2018, who he only departed earlier this year before his move to Leicester City.
8 George and Timothy Weah
George Weah may be the only person in history to have won the Ballon d’Or and later served as president of his country. The Liberian attacker first moved to Europe in 1988 to join Monaco, from which he carved out a legacy as one of the game’s greatest-ever strikers, later spending time with PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Marseille.
He is the first and so far only player to represent an African country internationally to have won a Ballon d’Or and is still fondly remembered as a great of the game. His third son, Timothy Weah, while not being at the dizzying heights his father once endured, has steadily made a name for himself as a footballer.
Still just 24 years old, American-born Timothy Weah started his career with PSG, spending time with Celtic on loan before joining Lille in 2019, where he finally found consistent minutes and helped win the Ligue 1 title in 2021. Capable of playing as a winger or full-back, Italian giants Juventus acquired Weah’s services in 2023, where he has since become a valuable member of the squad.
George Weah's silhouette with Ballon d'Or , Chelsea logo and small Liberia flag Related
'I Won the Ballon d'Or, Played for Chelsea and Became President of my Country'
He spent time at Man City and Chelsea before the dramatic career change after retiring.
7 Patrick and Justin Kluivert
Patrick Kluivert began his career with Ajax and it did not take long for him to announce himself to the world stage. Part of the club’s golden generation, Kluivert played and scored the winning goal in the 1995 Champions League final, despite being just 18 years old. A move to AC Milan came in 1997, though the Dutchman only spent a season in Italy before joining Barcelona.
It was in Catalonia that Kluivert found his form again, forming a deadly strike partnership with Brazilian international Rivaldo that fired the club to the 1998/99 La Liga title, somehow the only honour he won during his time with the Spanish juggernauts. Stints with Newcastle United, Valencia and PSV followed before Kluivert finished his career in 2008 after a season with Lille.
Of his four sons, it is Justin Kluivert that has made the biggest impact. A winger, the younger Kluivert started his career with Ajax as his father did, ultimately joining Roma in 2018 where, after two years, he would spend three successive seasons out on loan with RB Leipzig, Nice and Valencia respectively.
In 2023, Kluivert moved to Bournemouth on a permanent transfer and became only the third player in history to score in each of the Big Five leagues with his first goal for the Cherries. Kluivert, who played for the Dutch national side in 2018, has become a key component of Andoni Iraola’s system at the Vitality Stadium.
6 Frank Lampard Sr. and Frank Lampard
Lampards
Frank Lampard Sr. spent nearly two decades playing professional football as a left-back. Outside of his final season, in which he played for Southend United, Lampard spent the entirety of his career with West Ham United, playing for the club across all levels between 1963 and 1985.
The left-back, who played twice for the England national team, is regarded as a legend by the West Ham faithful, helping the club win two FA Cups. Though he scored just 22 goals for the Hammers, one of those was a header against Everton in the 1980 FA Cup semi-final replay that had been locked in a 1-1 draw, helping the club progress to a final they would ultimately win.
Despite his accolades, Lampard’s son managed to have an even better career. A midfielder, the younger Lampard started his career with West Ham in 1995, departing for Chelsea in 2001 where he would become a club legend.
Lampard is Chelsea’s record goalscorer and assist maker, helping the Blues win three Premier League titles alongside four FA Cups, a Champions League and a Europa League across his 13-year tenure. Eventually, Lampard would return to Stamford Bridge as manager in two separate stints. He's remembered as one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history.
Frank Lampard Chelsea Related
Frank Lampard Builds His Ultimate Midfielder
The ex-England international left out some big names including his former teammate Paul Scholes.
5 Danny and Daley Blind
Danny Blind began his career with Sparta Rotterdam, debuting in 1979 and spending seven years with the club. Eventually, he drew the attention of a certain Johan Cruyff, then manager of Ajax, who brought Blind to Amsterdam in 1986. Despite being relatively unknown at the time, he went on to spend the remaining 13 years of his career with the club.
In that time, Blind became a mainstay in Cruyff’s team, winning all three European trophies that were available to him: The UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, UEFA Cup and the Champions League, in that order. He also won five Eredivisie titles with Ajax as he further established a reputation of being a solid, dependable defender before his 1999 retirement.
Nine years later, Danny’s son Daley Blind began his career, also with Ajax, for whom he played for six years before moving to Manchester United in 2014 after impressing at the World Cup in Brazil. One of only a select few to play over 100 games for his country, Blind has been deployed as a centre-back, left-back and defensive midfielder across his career.
2018 saw the younger Blind return to Ajax, where he spent four further years before departing the club as a free agent in December 2022. A brief stint at Bayern Munich followed until Blind joined Girona in 2023, whom he helped qualify for the Champions League and still plays for.
4 Johan and Jordi Cruyff
Regarded as one of biggest legends in football history, Johan Cruyff found immense levels of success both as a manager and player. During his first stint with Ajax, Cruyff was one of the proponents of the Total Football philosophy, in which players could play anywhere, positionally, on the pitch.
A five-year term with Barcelona followed after Cruyff moved to Spain in 1973, where he helped the club win their first La Liga title in almost 15 years. He moved into management in 1985, first with Ajax, before once more joining Barcelona in 1988 where, over the next eight years, he was in charge of the Dream Team that won four-straight league titles.
Cruyff gave his son, Jordi, a Catalan name when he was born, something that endeared him further to the Barca faithful. Jordi too embarked on a career in football, beginning with Barcelona when his father managed the club and departing in the same year as the elder Cruyff.
A move to Manchester United came for Jordi in 1996 and he signed a four-year contract to play for the Old Trafford side. Despite displaying a natural ability, the younger Cruyff’s career was derailed entirely by injury. After leaving Manchester in 2000, he played for clubs in Spain, Ukraine and Malta before retiring in 2010.
MixCollage-03-Jul-2024-10-38-AM-8468 Related
Explaining Total Football: A System Created by Johan Cruyff
Total Football revolutionised football in the 1970s, with Ajax taking advantage and dominating the sport.
3 Lilian, Marcus and Khephren Thuram
World Cup winner Lilian Thuram enjoyed a magnificent playing career that began with Monaco, with whom the defender spent five years before, in 1996, he moved to Italy to join Parma, helping them to a second-placed finish in his first season. He and teammate Gianluigi Buffon impressed so much that, in 2001, Juventus agreed a deal to sign them both.
While in Turin, Thuram won two Serie A titles with Juve and made over 200 appearances for the club before moving to Barcelona in 2006 in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal. He played professional football for two further years before retiring, having also made the most appearances of anybody for the French national team, a record eventually beaten by Hugo Lloris.
Thuram’s two sons, Marcus and Khephren, have both become professional footballers and have both carved out successful careers despite still being in their 20s. Neither are defenders as their father was. Marcus is a forward who rose to prominence with Borussia Monchengladbach before joining Inter Milan in 2023, with whom he won a Serie A in his first season.
Khephren, meanwhile, is a midfielder and found his feet in football with Nice between 2019 and 2024 after a brief stint with Monaco. Earlier this year, the midfielder moved to Juventus on a five-year deal and has become an important part of Thiago Motta’s team. The two brothers have also both appeared for France internationally.
2 Peter and Kasper Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel was in his late 20s when he moved to Manchester United, having spent the previous decade playing in his native Denmark, most notably for Brondby. He arrived at Old Trafford for just over £500,000, despite being virtually unknown to every football fan outside of Denmark.
Despite this, Schmeichel would establish himself as one of the best shot-stoppers to ever play in England. A massive, intimidating figure, Schmeichel had lightning-quick reflexes and incredible athleticism in spite of a large frame. His final season with the club saw him help the Red Devils become the first English club to complete a European treble.
Peter’s son, Kasper, followed in his footsteps, not only by entering football, but doing so as a goalkeeper. After three years with Manchester City, Schmeichel spent a season each with both Notts County and Leeds United, feeling he could never settle with the latter due to his father’s association with Manchester United.
In 2011, he moved to Leicester City, then in the Championship. He helped them win the second tier and two seasons later was ever-present as the Foxes completed one of the greatest shocks in sporting history by winning the Premier League. Now playing for Celtic, Schmeichel also helped Leicester win an FA Cup in 2021.
Peter Schmeichel in the middle with Michael Laudrup (Denmark kit) and David Beckham (Man United kit) Related
Peter Schmeichel's Dream Teammates 11 Would be Nearly Impossible to Beat
Peter Schmeichel's dream team exudes Premier League excellence, mostly featuring his Manchester United teammates.
1 Cesare and Paolo Maldini
Cesare Maldini spent 15 years playing professional football, enjoying the bulk of that time with AC Milan, for whom he played for 12 years. Maldini won four Serie A titles as a player before joining Torino for a season in 1966, after which he retired and promptly returned to the San Siro to work with AC Milan, first as an assistant manager, then as boss between 1972 and 1974.
Such contributions to the club saw Maldini inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame. A decade after his time as manager came to an end, his son Paolo Maldini would make his debut for the team.
In a staggering 25-year career, Maldini established himself as one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game, capable of being deployed either at left-back or centre-back. His number 3 shirt was retired by Milan after he called time on his illustrious career, a testament to just how good he was.
In 25 years, Maldini won five Champions Leagues and seven Serie A titles as part of over 25 trophies he won across his career. His son Daniel, an attacking midfielder, has found a team in Monza that offer him consistent minutes as he looks to further his family legacy.