In the latter stages of World Cup 2026, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland took to an immaculate pitch at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, each competing to progress their team to a semi-final.

As for Haaland, he had put himself squarely in the Golden Boot race, netting seven times, four of them match-winners.

Ultimately, it was England who prevailed in extra-time, with Bellingham netting twice and on the final whistle the players embraced and shared smiles and some kind words.    

Once again we saw evidence of a friendship grounded in mutual respect and admiration. A friendship that transcends rivalry.

A phenomena emerges  

In late-December 2019, Borussia Dortmund signed Erling Haaland from Red Bull Salzburg for a fee in the region of €20m.

The teenager had already gained international fame for his goal-scoring exploits, including scoring a hat-trick on his Champions League debut against Genk. There was additionally all manner of records broken at Molde, in his native Norway.

On joining the Bundesliga club, prolificacy was not demanded of a player so young but, given his notably high strike-rate to that juncture, certainly it was implied.

It took Haaland just 23 minutes to justify the considerable hype when he made his debut as a second-half substitute against FC Augsburg and found the back of the net three times.

A week later, he scored twice more, again coming off the bench to do so.

By the end of January the forward was awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Month merit. His game-time amounted to a mere 59 minutes.

A brace against PSG in the Champions League a fortnight later further enhanced the striker’s reputation.

By the season’s end – for Salzburg and Dortmund combined - he had converted 44 goals in 40 outings.

Erling Haaland’s Dortmund stats

Games: 67

Goals: 62

Assists: 16

Shots: 205

Shots on target: 1.8 per 90

The complete ascent

The following June, Dortmund again invested in highly-promising youth, signing Jude Bellingham from Birmingham City for €25m. In hindsight, after the multiple ballon d’Or nominations and countless plaudits, the fee can be viewed as a steal but it made him the most expensive 17-year-old in football’s history.

Bellingham was enticed by Dortmund, over other interested parties, because of their track record in giving young players game-time and his thinking was sound in this regard.

In his first season, the midfielder made 29 appearances in the league and 10 in the Champions League. In his second campaign, he was a near ever-present, only missing out when rested.

In October 2022 he was handed the captain’s armband, making him the youngest skipper in Bundesliga history.

Growing in stature with every passing week, Bellingham blossomed in Germany, becoming the all-action star we are so familiar with today.

He controlled games; despite often coming up against opponents twice his age, and it was around this period when media outlets began to refer to him as ‘complete’.

He was still just 19 years of age.

In 2023, three pivotal events occurred that reflected his stratospheric rise.

He was voted the Bundesliga Player of the Year. He won the Kopa Trophy, confirming him as a special young talent. And Real Madrid made him a Galactico, for the princely sum of €103m.

Jude Bellingham’s Dortmund stats

Games: 92

Goals: 12

Assists: 15

Shots: 143

Shots on target: 1.6 per 90

A kinship of excellence

Haaland and Bellingham played together at Dortmund for two seasons, sharing 4742 minutes of game-time together on the pitch.

In that time they won a DFB-Pokal trophy together, took Die Schwarzgelben to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and ran Bayern Munich close for a league title.

On the pitch they synchronised to devastating effort while their playful relationship regularly made for good internet content.

Like the time, Haaland was being interviewed and Bellingham dived in, stage left, for a kiss on the cheek.

Or the time Bellingham got into a heated row with an opponent, a split-second before Haaland jumped in, acting as his minder.

“He is incredible”

That was Haaland’s take on his team-mate in 2021.

“The player you see isn’t a fluke. He works his socks off every day and he’s an even better guy than he is a striker.”

That is Bellingham, reciprocating the love.

The England star also revealed in 2024 that Haaland would text him prior and after big games. Joking around. Lifting his spirits. Congratulating.

From the outside looking in, it is easy to see why this friendship took hold, their journeys a mirror of the other.

Both were exceptionally gifted individuals, burdened with the enormous expectation to fulfil those gifts. And they did.