A Danish goalkeeping father-and-son duo, two former England international forwards and the undefeated daughter of an all-time icon – famous stars and their sporting children
For most athletes, it is a dream to share the stage with their children. Cristiano Ronaldo has already hinted that he does not want to stop until he has done so with his own son.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James, son of legendary basketball icon and Lakers team star LeBron James, in the NBA draft earlier this month, marking the first time in league history that a father and son team have been on the same team.
Rarely do the professional sports careers of parents and their children go so well, but there have been some notable cases in the past.
Some have even shared the same pitch – Icelandic heroes Eidur and Arnor Gudjohnsen both played in the same friendly against Estonia.
From football to boxing, here are some famous parent-child athletes from different sports.
Bronny James became the first NBA star to be acquired by the same franchise as their parent company
James Snr (right) could play alongside his son for the Los Angeles Lakers this season
Bronny has made a number of appearances for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League
Peter and Kasper Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel spent much of his illustrious career at Manchester United, making 388 appearances for the Red Devils. He was previously the most capped international for Denmark, having recently been overtaken by Christian Eriksen and Simon Kjaer.
His son Kasper has made 104 appearances for Denmark since making his debut in 2013. After making more than 400 appearances in 11 years at Leicester City, Schmeichel moved to Nice in Ligue 1 before joining Belgian side Anderlecht, which he left this summer.
The father-son duo have played more matches than any other football couple, having played 1,508 matches together, including 226 international matches for their country.
Ian Wright and Shaun Wright-Phillips
Former Arsenal star and now analyst Ian Wright scored the second-highest number of goals in club history with 179 for the Gunners, and also made 33 appearances for England in his career.
His son, Shaun Wright-Phillips, also had a successful football career, playing most of his career as a winger for Manchester City and Chelsea.
He scored six times for England in 36 appearances and was included in the squad for the 2010 World Cup.
Shaun Wright-Phillips (left) and Ian Wright (right) both played for England as forwards
David and Romeo Beckham
England captain, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and AC Milan superstar, national hero; David Beckham’s career doesn’t need retelling. He’s simply one of the biggest names in not just the sport, but the world.
Following in his father’s footsteps, Romeo Beckham dreamed of becoming a football star. After playing for Arsenal’s academy, Romeo quit football and took up tennis, where he trained alongside Andy Murray.
However, in 2020, Romeo announced that he was making a sensational return to football, signing for his father’s club, Inter Miami.
He then made 26 appearances for Inter Miami II, scoring twice since making his debut for the team in 2021, before moving to Brentford B in 2023.
Alf-Inge and Erling Haaland
Record sensation from Norway Erling is the son of Alf-Inge Haaland, himself a former Premier League footballer.
Haaland senior played nine seasons from 1994 to 2003 in England, playing for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City. During that time he also earned 34 caps for Norway.
His son is now one of the best footballers in the world, scoring a record 36 goals in his debut season at Manchester City and leading his team to the continental treble.
Erling (left) and Alf-Inge Haaland both enjoyed success in England, with Manchester City and Leeds respectively
Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning
Archie Manning played for over a decade in the National Football League, achieving his greatest success with the New Orleans Saints. Two of Manning’s sons, Peyton and Eli, were first-round picks in the NFL draft and went on to have successful careers in their own right.
Peyton is often considered one of the greatest players of all time, winning five Most Valuable Player awards and two Super Bowl championships with the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos.
While Eli didn’t have the same reputation as his older brother, he is best known for twice defeating Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
He led the New York Giants to a huge underdog win over the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Dell and Steph Curry
Steph Curry is considered one of the best shooters in basketball history and was heavily influenced by his father, Dell.
Dell played 16 seasons in the NBA and won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1994. He achieved his greatest success with the Charlotte Hornets, where he spent 10 seasons with the team that welcomed Steph during that period.
Steph has had one of the greatest careers in sports since his debut in 2009. He is widely regarded as the player who has had the greatest impact on the overall playing style of the league in the 21st century.
Curry Jnr is a two-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA champion. He holds the record for most three-pointers made in a single season and in a single career.
Steph Curry (left) is the star of the Golden State Warriors, while father Dell Curry had success with the Charlotte Hornets
Rocky and Dwayne Johnson
Before pursuing a career as an actor, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was best known for his successful wrestling career, in which he won eight WWE championships.
In addition to his wrestling career, Johnson has appeared in over 60 films, which have grossed over $12.5 billion worldwide. He is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood.
His father, Rocky Johnson, paved the way for his son’s career by training him and eventually fighting him in the ring. In 1993, Rocky Johnson and his wrestling partner Tony Atlas became the first black champions in WWE history.
Michael, Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan
In the great debate between James and Michael Jordan, the latter has now accomplished something the Chicago Bulls legend did not. Despite being widely recognized as the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan’s sons have failed to achieve the same level of success.
His eldest son, Jeffrey, did not make it to the NBA and quit basketball after college.
Marcus, his second son, briefly played with his brother at the University of Central Florida, but left basketball for a career in fashion.
Michael Jordan (right) is the greatest basketball player of all time and won the NBA championship three times in a row with the Bulls, twice in a row
Mohammed and Laila Ali
After retiring with an undefeated career record of 24-0-0, Laila Ali is considered one of the best female boxers of all time, if not the best. During her career, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female super middleweight titles.
Her father is known simply as ‘The Greatest’. Muhammad Ali changed the face of boxing, both inside and outside the ring.
The undisputed heavyweight champion from 1974 to 1978 and Olympic gold medalist, was named Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC after beating the likes of George Best, Pele and Jesse Owens.
Ken Griffey Snr and Jnr
Although Ken Griffey Jnr. is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time, it was his father Ken Griffey Snr. who first made waves in the sport.
Griffey Snr, a three-time All-Star, signed with the Seattle Mariners after his son made his debut for the team in 1989.
Ken Griffeys Snr (left) and Jnr (right) became the first father-son duo to play in the same game
After becoming the first father and son to play in the same game, they also became the first father-son duo to both hit a home run in the same game.
Griffey Jnr, was named an All-Star and MVP thirteen times in his brilliant career. He hit 630 home runs, the seventh most in Major League Baseball history.