Jobe Bellingham has been called up to the senior England squad for the first time, meaning he could line up alongside his older brother Jude in the upcoming Nations League matches. Jude Bellingham has previously described playing with his brother for England as “the biggest dream of his life,” and that dream is now set to become a reality.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder joins a squad that includes his brother, the Real Madrid star, after impressing for the under-21s. England head coach Thomas Tuchel confirmed the call-up and spoke warmly about the brothers, even accidentally merging their names into “Jube” before correcting himself with a laugh.
Tuchel on the Bellingham brothers
Tuchel said: “I was aware it was always his dream. I saw Jobe once, I think he watched training very early in my reign. He came over and watched his brother train. We chatted and we said ah it would be nice if one day you are with him Jude. I think it will be beautiful for Jude to have his brother close and in camp and to have this experience together. It’s a very special moment for them of course.”
The pair would become the first brothers to play in the same England XI since the Nevilles. Jude first spoke of his ambition to play alongside Jobe on a podcast two and a half years ago, and both careers have progressed significantly since then.
Different paths, same club
Jobe is two years younger than Jude and, although both came through Birmingham City’s academy, they have not played competitively together. They were due to face each other in the summer of 2025 at the Club World Cup when Real Madrid played Borussia Dortmund, but Jobe was suspended and that match-up did not happen.
Both brothers moved abroad for their careers, with Jobe first joining Sunderland before following Jude to Borussia Dortmund. That move drew interest from Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig, but Dortmund brought obvious comparisons. Jobe now captains England under-21s and has been starring for Dortmund in his own right.
Tuchel on Jobe’s qualities and the brothers’ bond
Tuchel described Jobe’s playing style, saying: “Maybe more an 8 than a classic 6. Less of a 10. He arrives also in the box but for us he will play more of a deeper role. Very good on the ball. Big body, big legs…very physical. Overall a good player, a good package and he played in the under-21s like he deserves the next step.”
He acknowledged the inevitable comparisons between the brothers, noting they look similar even in their movements but are very different players and characters. Tuchel also praised Jude for his role as a big brother, saying: “Jude was always the big brother that you imagine, taking care of his younger brother and making sure everything is alright. Behaving like a big brother. And I think that helps Jobe now in camp.”
The call-up marks a positive turn in Tuchel’s relationship with Jude, which he described as having “up and down” moments after a poor choice of words in 2025. Tuchel said: “I hope we have finished with the down. You never know as a coach. It was a bit of an up and down (relationship) of course but we are in a good place. I love to be his coach, he's a top player, a very influential player and I think it goes both ways.”
With both Bellinghams now in the England camp, the next step is for them to take the field together in the Nations League.
