Brian Brobbey became the biggest talking point in the Netherlands on Saturday after starting for the Orange against Sweden in Group F of the 2026 World Cup and scoring twice inside the first 17 minutes. Coach Ronald Koeman chose him ahead of Memphis Depay, and Brobbey repaid the decision with goals in the 5th and 17th minutes, turning the match into a remarkable personal showcase. The 24-year-old, born in February 2002, has long been regarded as one of the most physically gifted prospects to emerge from Ajax’s academy, thanks to his strength, speed and explosive finishing in the box.
Brobbey’s family story has also drawn attention, especially in Israel. He is the younger brother of Derrick Luckassen, the Dutch center back who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv from 2022 to 2024 and won a league title there. The family includes four footballing brothers, Kevin Luckassen, Derrick Luckassen, Samuel Brobbey and Brian Brobbey, and the difference in surnames comes from the parents’ choice under Dutch naming rules, with the older brothers taking their father’s name and the younger two taking their mother’s.
The parents are originally from Ghana, and the brothers grew up together in Amsterdam. Under Dutch law, parents may choose either surname for their children, and in many West African families different surnames are used to honor both sides of the family or simply by parental choice.
Brobbey joined Ajax at age 8 and broke scoring records in the youth teams before making his senior debut in 2020 under Erik ten Hag. A brief and less successful spell at RB Leipzig followed, but Ajax paid more than 16 million euros to bring him back, showing how highly the club valued him. He later moved to Sunderland for 20 million euros, a fee that could rise to 25 million euros, and finished his first season there as the club’s top scorer with seven goals. In youth internationals he also had a major impact against Israel, scoring 35 goals for Dutch age-group teams, assisting and scoring in a 2-0 win over Israel in the Euro U17 2019 elite round, and netting twice in a 4-2 friendly win over Israel months earlier.
