Ethan Mbappe & six more superstar siblings set to break through in 2025-26
Kylian Mbappe’s brother Ethan Mbappe announced himself as a talented player in his own right by scoring against PSG, but he’s not the only famous footballing sibling making waves this season.
Big-name stars at Real Madrid, Tottenham, Bournemouth and AC Milan are among those with little brothers carving out their own path.
Here are seven siblings of superstar footballers worth keeping an eye out for in 2025-26.
Ethan Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe, PSG’s all-time top scorer, was in attendance as his little brother scored a late equaliser against his former club.
The 18-year-old midfielder left Paris alongside his brother in the summer of 2024. He made the odd appearance for Lille last season, but looks set for more first-team responsibilities this year.
He’s scored two goals from just 33 minutes of Ligue 1 football in 2025-26 so far. Not a bad strikerate, that.
Jobe Bellingham
You might well argue that Jude’s younger brother has already broken through.
The England Under-21 international has over a hundred appearances in the Championship under his belt, and has already played at Wembley for a promotion-winning team.
Young Jobe followed in his big bro’s footsteps by going from the second tier to Borussia Dortmund, where he now has a platform – one of Europe’s top leagues, as well as the Champions League – to really show he belongs at the top.
Things haven’t quite gone to plan just yet, though. The 20-year-old has only played a fringe role in Niko Kovac’s squad, with just two Bundesliga starts to date.
Reports from Germany suggest there’s friction between the Bellingham camp (his parents) and the Dortmund hierarchy over his lack of minutes, but it’s a long season, he’s still young, and we’re sure more opportunities will land his way.
Harry Gray
The Gray dynasty at Leeds United continues.
Younger brother of Tottenham’s Archie, son of former Scotland international Andy and another great nephew of Leeds icon Eddie, there’s tons of buzz about teenage forward Harry.
The 16-year-old only made one cameo appearance in last season’s emphatic 100-point Championship-topping campaign, but he was around the squad all season. And on the evidence of his exuberant celebrations front and centre in Leeds’ trophy parade, there’s no shortage of confidence there.
He’ll have to be patient for opportunities following the summer signings of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha.
We’d expect to see him feature in the Premier League sooner or later, though – he’s rapidly outgrowing youth football.
Shane & Ruben Kluivert
Anyone who grew up watching football in the 1990s will think of Shane and Ruben as two more of Patrick’s sons as opposed to Justin’s younger brothers.
Regardless of the generational divide, they fit the bill here.
While Justin is shining for Bournemouth and already has experience in all five of Europe’s top leagues, his younger siblings have the potential to match him. The trio made headlines by all scoring over the course of three days last week.
Ruben, 24, isn’t especially young but he’s just starting to catch the eye, having moved from lesser-known Portuguese outfit Casa Pia to Ligue 1 giants Lyon in the summer.
The centre-back scored his first goal for the club in their Europa League victory over Salzburg last week.
Shane, 18, has a promising future. The La Masia academy graduate notched a goal in Barcelona’s UEFA Youth League victory over PSG and could soon be knocking on the door for opportunities in Hansi Flick’s senior set-up.
Honourable mention to 28-year-old Quincy Kluivert, who plays for tenth-tier Dutch outfit AVV Zeeburgia. The love of the game runs in the family, no matter the level.
Paulo Simao
No, not the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid winger. This Sporting Lisbon academy graduate is young enough to be that Simao’s son.
He doesn’t share the surname of older sibling Rafael Leao, 10 years his senior, and has followed in the AC Milan superstar’s footsteps by joining Sporting Lisbon’s famously fertile academy.
We wouldn’t expect the 16-year-old midfielder to be knocking on the door of the first team just yet, but he’s one to watch in the UEFA Youth League. Remember the name.
Hugo Felix
From one end of the Portuguese youth football scale to the other, now is the time for Joao Felix’s little brother to kick on if he’s to have a professional career in the game.
Another rising starlet from Benfica’s academy, the attacking midfielder was talked up as one to watch in The Guardian’s ‘Next Generation’ series four years ago.
Romeo Lavia, Gavi and Savinho are among the standout names from that generation, but the younger Felix never made it beyond Benfica’s B Team.
The 21-year-old joined newly-promoted minnows Tondela in the summer and has made three Primeira Liga appearances off the bench so far this season.
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