Keeping Sports in the Family: Famous Latino Siblings Playing at the Highest Level

SEATTLE - For parents, little things can compare to seeing their kids accomplish their childhood dreams at the highest level. In some families, that sense of pride is doubled when their children manage to -somehow- beat all the odds of becoming a professional athlete and sharing that blessing with their sibling.

As part of The Latin Times National Sibling Day celebrations, we take a look at some of the Latino households with multiple athletes within the family.

The Milito brothers (Diego and Gabriel)

One a goal scorer, the other a tough defender. Despite being brothers, they both played for each other's rival team. Diego started his professional career for Racing while Gabriel did it for archrivals Independiente, and they both delivered a league title before continuing their careers in Europe.

They shared the same team for two years in Spain with Real Zaragoza before Gabriel joined Barcelona in 2007. With the "Culés," the youngest of the Milito's went on to win five titles with the club, including the Treble in 2011. Diego also won a Treble himself, but as part of the Inter Milan team that conquered Europe and the world in 2010.

Just like they began their professional careers, they both put an end to their chapters as players for their boyhood teams (Racing and Independiente).

The dos Santos brothers (Jonathan and Giovani)

Sons of legendary Brazilian soccer player Zizinho, Giovani and Jonathan developed in Barcelona's La Masía and eventually debuted with the first team.

Giovani, a year older than Jonathan, broke through the ranks early, helping Mexico win its first U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2005 defeating Brazil in the final. Giovani's biggest accomplishment came in 2012, as part of Mexico's Olympic team that won the gold medal also against the Brazilians.

Jonathan was part of the Barcelona team that won the Treble in 2011 before having a successful stint with Villarreal in Spain. Together they amass more than 300 games played in Europe.

They shared the pitch playing for the Mexican national team in multiple occasions, including the 2018 World Cup, and even won a title together at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. At the club level, they also played together at Villarreal (2014-15) and for the LA Galaxy (2017-18).

The Cruz brothers (Tommy, Héctor and José)

Baseball is something that runs in the Cruz family. Tommy, Héctor and José all played in Major League Baseball in the 1970s and 1980s. Out of the three, José was the one with the lengthiest career, playing 19 years in the Majors.

José connected more than 2,000 hits in his MLB career and had his most successful stint with the Houston Astros where he earned two All-Star appearances and two Silver Slugger awards. José Cruz finished in the top ten of the NL MVP award voting three times and was twice named as the Astros' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for his humanitarian efforts.

Although the most successful out of the three, Héctor is the only one that has been enshrined into a Hall of Fame following his career, doing so at the Caribbean Hall of Fame in 2007.

The Alomar brothers (Sandy and Roberto)

One of baseball's finest families, the Alomar brothers wrote their golden pages in MLB during the 1990s and early 2000s. Between the two, they account for 18 All-Star appearances, 11 Golden Gloves and more than 300 homers. Sandy, the older brother of Roberto, spent most of his career with the Cleveland Guardians where he played 10 of his 20 years in the Majors. Roberto was the only one out of the two to ever win a World Series and he achieved it twice with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Alomar brothers played in six All-Star games together (1990-92, 1996-98) and even had the fortune to play together in three different teams: Padres (1988-89), Indians (1999-2000), White Sox (2003-04).

The Jaquez siblings (Jaime and Gabriela)

Ever since the Spring of 2021, the Jaquez family has been writing history in the sport of basketball. The oldest of the Jaquez siblings, Jaime Jr., helped the UCLA Bruins reach the Final Four in his sophomore season as the second-best scorer in the team (12.3 PPG). Jaime Jr. stayed in school until his senior year when he was joined by his younger sister, Gabriela.

During the 2023 NCAA Tournament, both Jaquez siblings played and reached the Sweet Sixteen, becoming the first pair of siblings from the same school to reach the Round of 16 in the same season.

After earning Pac-12 Player of the Year honors, Jaime Jr. was drafted by the Miami Heat with the 18th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. He's been one of the revelations of the 2023 class, earning multiple Rookie of the Month awards and is currently averaging 11.9 PPG in 28 minutes a night.

The Álvarez family

Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez might be the biggest name of the bunch, but boxing is a sport that runs in the whole family. The four-division world champion is the youngest of eight siblings, and all six of his brothers have roots in the sports.

Ricardo, Gonzalo, Rigoberto, Daniel, Víctor and Ramón Álvarez all had at least one bout, but the oldest of the Álvarez, Rigoberto, was the one that lasted the longest as a professional fighter with the exception of "Canelo."

All Álvarez brothers made history in their native Jalisco on June 28, 2008, when all seven fought on the same card. To this day, they are the only family to have accomplished such feat and just last year, they were recognized with a Guinness World Record.