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Published : 11 Jul 2026, 05:59 PM
It is the friendship that has taken over the internet this World Cup, and fans watching England's Jude Bellingham face Norway's Erling Haaland will be looking out for more than just goals.
The pair's bond, dating back to their days together at Borussia Dortmund, has thrown up some memorable moments over the years, many of which have found fresh life during the tournament ahead of their meeting on Saturday night.
Footage of their camaraderie has become something of an antidote to toxic masculinity and the internet's darker corners, with Instagram in particular flooded with clips of the two hugging or celebrating together during matches.
One clip from September 2021, after Dortmund's win over Besiktas, shows Haaland calling Bellingham "amazing" before planting a jokey kiss on his cheek and walking off.
Another moment, widely shared this week, shows Haaland rushing to Bellingham's defence after a rival player shoved him on the pitch.
Today's footballers represent a different breed from previous generations, PR expert Mark Borkowski told the BBC.
"If you go back to the days of the 90s or 00s a lot of brands fell out with footballers because they were so badly behaved," he said.
"Jude Bellingham conducts himself like a man twice his age, the wisdom, the level-headed nature and the self-awareness. Haaland comes from a pretty wholesome family as well."
Borkowski credited their exposure to different footballing cultures across Europe for shaping who they've become, adding that this World Cup has delivered a "feel-good factor" following the success of the last tournament.
The friendship first drew attention at Dortmund, who released a Valentine's Day video of the pair trading cheesy pick-up lines, as per the BBC.
Haaland's lines included, "I'd like to take you to the movies but they don't let you bring in your own snacks," while Bellingham offered, "Is your name Google, because you have all I'm searching for."
Some fans have drawn comparisons to the gay ice hockey romance series Heated Rivalry, dubbing the football version "Cleated Rivalry”, even though both players are reportedly in relationships with women.
The friendship offers fans a break from football's often hostile online culture, social media expert Mark Navarra told the BBC.
"Football online is often built around outrage and tribalism and turning every player into either heroes and villains," he said.
"These clips re-humanise two people who are normally cast as multi-million pound assets or rivals or goal-scoring machines."
Navarra said the pair remain fiercely competitive on the pitch but come across as funny, affectionate and comfortable showing they care about each other off it.
"There is also something incredibly refreshing about two young male athletes displaying a warm notionally open friendship without feeling the need to perform hostility for the cameras."
Their chemistry "feels earned rather than engineered”, he added, pointing to their contrasting personalities as part of the appeal.
"Bellingham is polished, articulate, emotionally expressive, Haaland is much more eccentric, deadpan, naturally meme-able."
Their lives away from football have also fed into their popularity.
Haaland is in a relationship with childhood sweetheart Isabel Haugseng Johansen, and the couple have described a low-key home life in an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
"I cook dinner… it's going to be a little embarrassing for her that I say this, but she likes video games," Haaland said. "We play Minecraft together, we build houses and all that. Or we go back home to Bryne and order kebabs."
Bellingham is widely reported to be dating US model Ashlyn Castro, though he has not spoken publicly about the relationship, the broadcaster said.
He has, however, spoken about his close family ties, crediting his mother for teaching him to "stay calm, stay cool" and lead by example.
"Looking back, I think if I had a dad that didn't play football, I probably would never have got into football really, because there was nothing there for me that motivated me to play at the start," he told the England Football website.
Navarra cautioned against overstating the impact of a single friendship but said it offers a welcome contrast to the norm.
"I wouldn't overstate it and say one football bromance fixes toxic social media but it is a positive counter-programming. It gives fans rivalry without hatred, which increasingly certainly feels like a novelty online."
Whatever happens on the pitch, the BBC said, nothing looks likely to dent the bond between the two players.
