World Cup 2026: Luca Zidane makes history with Algeria debut

Luca Zidane made his FIFA World Cup debut for Algeria on Tuesday, becoming part of the 27th father-son duo to feature at the tournament.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper followed in the footsteps of his father, Zinedine Zidane, who represented France at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 World Cups, winning the title on home soil in 1998.

Despite the milestone, it was a difficult debut for Luca as Algeria were beaten 3-0 by Argentina, with Lionel Messi scoring all three goals.

The Zidanes are only the second father and son to play at the World Cup for different countries. Brazil's Mazinho and his son Thiago Alcantara, who represented Spain, are the only other duo to achieve the feat.

Born in Marseille, Luca represented France at youth level before switching his international allegiance to Algeria through his paternal grandparents. He was also eligible to play for Spain through his mother.

The Granada goalkeeper earned his eighth senior cap for Algeria against Argentina and played the entire match wearing protective headgear after recovering from a serious facial injury suffered shortly before the tournament.