World Cup 2026: Luca Zidane follows father’s footsteps but suffers tough debut

Luca Zidane followed in his father Zinedine Zidane’s footsteps by featuring at the World Cup on Tuesday night, but endured a difficult debut as Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to a 3-0 win over Algeria in Kansas City.

The Algeria goalkeeper became part of the 27th father-son duo to appear at a World Cup, joining an exclusive list that includes his father, France legend Zinedine Zidane.

However, his first tournament appearance quickly turned into a night to forget as Lionel Messi produced a decisive performance, scoring a hat-trick to equal the World Cup’s all-time scoring record and fire Argentina to a comfortable opening victory.

Messi’s movement and finishing proved too much for Algeria’s back line, with the Argentine captain striking once in each half to put the game beyond reach, leaving Luca Zidane exposed on several occasions despite making a number of saves to prevent an even heavier defeat.

Despite the result, Zidane’s appearance carried historic significance. He and his father are now only the second father-son duo to represent different nations at the World Cup, underlining a rare generational and international split in footballing heritage.

Zinedine Zidane featured in three World Cups for France between 1998 and 2006, famously leading Les Bleus to glory on home soil in 1998 and later guiding them to the 2006 final, where his tournament ended in controversy after a red card in the defeat to Italy.

That final in Berlin brought an emotional end to one of football’s great international careers, with Zidane retiring shortly after, leaving behind a legacy that continues to shape the game more than a decade later.

Luca Zidane, born in Marseille, came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid and has previously represented France at junior level before switching his international allegiance to Algeria through his paternal grandparents. His decision has allowed him to carve out his own international career away from his father’s legacy.

At club level, the 28-year-old has played for Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Eibar and Granada, gaining experience across Spain’s top divisions after making his senior breakthrough in Madrid.

He also has a close personal link to his father’s career, having been handed his LaLiga debut during Zinedine Zidane’s spell as Real Madrid manager in 2018—one of his rare first-team appearances for the Spanish giants.

Zidane wore protective headgear throughout the match after suffering a serious facial injury earlier in the year, including a fractured jaw and concussion that had threatened to rule him out of the tournament.

Although the scoreline was disappointing for Algeria, his World Cup debut still marked a significant milestone in a footballing family that continues to make history on the global stage.