This World Cup has already delivered its fair share of thrills, spills and strained relationships, with the latest flashpoint arriving during Spain’s victory over Portugal as former Manchester City team-mates Rodri and Bernardo Silva became embroiled in a heated exchange.
After Silva missed a late opportunity to level the scores, Rodri celebrated over his former City colleague as he lay stricken on the turf, prompting an angry reaction from the Portuguese midfielder.
And that may not be the last friendship tested by World Cup football.
England’s next challenge is Norway in Miami on Saturday night, where Jude Bellingham will hope his close friendship with Erling Haaland emerges unscathed amid the high-stakes circumstances.
The pair forged a strong bond during their time together at Borussia Dortmund, when Bellingham arrived in Germany as a teenager in 2020 from Birmingham City.
Haaland, who had joined midway through the previous season, had already established himself as a goalscoring machine, a reputation rubber-stamped by a 23-minute hat-trick on his debut.
Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland a strong bond during their time together at Borussia Dortmund, but now they will meet as opponents in Miami
The pair have each made mega-money moves to Madrid (Bellingham) and City (Haaland)
When Bellingham arrived, the pair flourished together on the pitch, with the Englishman acting as the midfield engine behind Haaland’s relentless goalscoring exploits.
Together they played 46 Bundesliga matches, sharing 3,150 minutes on the pitch. Jude Bellingham assisted Haaland five times. Dortmund also averaged 1.97 xG per game in those 46 matches, compared to 1.92 in the 22 games where one or neither featured.
They also developed a light-hearted friendship off the pitch, with many fans embracing the ‘bromance’ between them. As one supporter put it: ‘Jude Bellingham (is) living the dream: having a two-meter Viking who’s willing to defend your honor with his fists if necessary’.
Although it was only a two-season football partnership, their personal relationship endured beyond Haaland’s move to City in 2022 and Bellingham’s switch to Real Madrid the following year.
The pair are often seen catching up after Champions League fixtures between the two sides, while it was reported in 2024 that Bellingham had been working hard to convince the Norway striker to join him at the Bernabeu.
According to Spanish publication AS at the time, Bellingham had been telling Haaland how incredible it is to play for Madrid in front of a full house at the recently renovated stadium. He had also been waxing lyrical about the club’s professionalism, the training facilities and what it was like playing under former boss Carlo Ancelotti.
In January 2025, Haaland instead opted to remain at the English club where he had achieved so much success, signing a record nine-and-a-half-year deal to keep him in Manchester until 2034.
Haaland has been monumental at this year’s tournament, scoring both goals in Norway’s Round of 16 victory over Brazil as well as the late winner in the Round of 32 triumph against Ivory Coast. His seven goals keep him firmly in the race for the Golden Boot, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
Bellingham has been instrumental to England’s charge towards the quarter-final, scoring twice in two minutes in their 3-2 victory over Mexico earlier in the week
Haaland’s brace against Brazil re-emphasised his status as one of the world’s most lethal strikers
The 25-year-old has scored 62 goals in 54 senior internationals, averaging a goal every 71 minutes. More impressively, only six of those goals have come from the penalty spot.
Similarly, Bellingham has also been instrumental to England’s charge towards the quarter-final, scoring twice in two minutes in their 3-2 victory over Mexico earlier in the week.
And Saturday certainly sets up a mouthwatering battle between the two friends, with Miami becoming the stage for a clash between a Norway side desperate to reach their first-ever World Cup semi-final and a Thomas Tuchel team seeking England’s first appearance in the last four since 2018.
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