It’s pretty uncommon for a pair of brothers to make it at the highest level, and even more rare for the two to face off against one another.
Gary and Phil Neville, who spent much of their careers together at Manchester United, memorably avoided eye contact in the Goodison Park tunnel ahead of a Premier League encounter as opponents in 2010, while Kolo and Yaya Toure went head-to-head in the 2016 EFL Cup final.
There, of course, are other high-profile examples, like Kevin-Prince and Jérôme Boateng, André and Jordan Ayew, Beppe and Franco Baresi, as well as Fabio and Paolo Cannavaro.
Jude and Jobe Bellingham looked poised to be the next brotherly tandem to meet on the big stage, as both Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund progressed into the Club World Cup quarterfinals. However, there will be no individual face-off between the pair. Here’s why.
Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand here
Madrid are taking on Dortmund in a repeat of the 2024 UEFA Champions League final at MetLife Stadium this Saturday, with a spot in the semifinals at stake.
And while Jude is expected to earn a fifth consecutive start at the tournament, his younger brother is ineligible to feature due to suspension.
Jobe, who joined Dortmund from Sunderland before the Club World Cup got underway in a £31 million ($42.2 million) deal, has impressed this summer, as he attempts to emulate Jude’s success in the Ruhr region.
The 19-year-old scored his first goal for the club on his first start, against Mamelodi Sundowns, but then received a booking in Dortmund’s final group game against Ulsan HD. As a result, the yellow card he received in the 2–1 victory over Monterrey on Tuesday was his second of the tournament, and he’ll be forced to serve a one-match ban. Jobe will be eligible to return for the semifinals if BVB advance.
“I think we all saw that he was very disappointed,” said Dortmund manager Niko Kovač post-match.
“I think he did not exactly know that the second yellow card is a suspension at half-time. He was a little bit surprised.”
While there won’t be a meeting between the two in East Rutherford this weekend, plenty more opportunities for a Bellingham face-off in a competitive setting are bound to arise, even as soon as 2025–26. Dortmund’s strong conclusion to the Bundesliga season meant they qualified for the Champions League, and the two teams are in Pot 1 for the league phase draw.
However, there’s less than a one in four chance that Dortmund meet Madrid in the league phase next season.
We may earn a commission if you buy something via a link in this article
