A MORELAND father and son are taking on the world one puzzle and kick at a time.

Brunswick resident Yassin Mohamed Faraj and his son, Mohamed, are making a name for themselves internationally in two very different fields.

Eritrea-born Mr Faraj, 64, will represent Australia at the World Sudoku Championship in Croatia in October. Mohamed, 18, is currently representing the country in the Madrid Cup as captain of Unite FC, a soccer team made up of youths from the Horn of Africa.

Mr Faraj said he started completing sudoku puzzles as a distraction when he was separated from his family in a refugee camp in Sudan.

"My life turned upside down because of the war and being separated from my kids and family, (so) I started playing sudoku to get my mind off the misery and to keep me sane," Mr Faraj said.

He qualified for the international competition by winning a World Puzzle Federation tournament for the Oceania region, where he completed the most puzzles in the least time.

Mr Faraj said he had high hopes for the tournament and was proud his son was also competing on the world stage.

"Just going to represent Australia I already feel like a winner," Mr Faraj said.

"But I will do more practise between now and then to increase my chances of getting as far as possible in the competitions … it's the least I can do for my adopted country.

"I hope (Mohamed's) dreams come true … I wish him and the team all the best."