Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham on same team: Revisiting the bromance from 2020-22 Borussia Dortmund

By | July 11, 2026
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Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham are two of the most prominent talents in all of world soccer. For those only recently introduced to the sport, they seem diametrically opposed to one another.

Haaland is the spindly center-forward, a star for Manchester City and Norway who has been misrepresented as a goal-scoring phenom with little in the way of all-around play.

Bellingham, meanwhile, wears different hats. The England midfielder is anything but one-dimensional, shining across the midfield for Real Madrid and the Three Lions. 

Surely, the two have little in common, right?

Not quite. Haaland and Bellingham have a memorable history with one another, a relationship expected to resurface when Haaland’s Norway takes on Bellingham’s England in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup.

Here’s what you need to know about their past together.

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Did Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham play together?

Haaland and Bellingham sported Borussia Dortmund’s famed colors during the early 2020s, joining the club in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The former arrived from Austrian power RB Salzburg, while the latter joined the Black and Yellow’s ranks from Championship side Birmingham City.

The tandem quickly struck up a devastating partnership in BVB’s attack, with Bellingham often turning provider for Haaland’s flurry of finishes. The Englishman, then a teenager, emerged as one of the world’s finest box-to-box midfielders across his time in Signal Iduna Park, wreaking havoc on both ends of the field.

Haaland, meanwhile, was a goal-scoring maven, recording 86 tallies in 89 matches. Both players earned Bundesliga Player of the Season honors, with Haaland taking home the award in 2020-21 and Bellingham landing the honor in 2022-23.

Borussia Dortmund proved a captivating outfit during the Haaland and Bellingham years, boasting a talent-laden roster that featured some of the world’s most high-profile youngsters at the time, including Jadon Sancho, Gio Reyna, Karim Adeyemi and Youssof Moukoko. None could quite hit the heights of Haaland and Bellingham, however, the two gleaming prospects who came could while draped in canary and black.

MORE: Meet Erling Haaland’a dad, brother, mom and the rest of his family

Borussia Dortmund roster 2020

Here’s a look at Borussia Dortmund’s roster during the 2020-21 season, Haaland and Bellingham’s first together at Borussia Dortmund.

Pos No. Name Age
GK 1 Roman Burki 30
GK 35 Marwin Hirtz 33
GK 25 Luca Unbehaun 20
DEF 16 Manuel Akanji 25
DEF 23 Emre Can 27
DEF 5 Dan-Axel Zagadou 22
DEF 15 Mats Hummels 32
DEF 13 Raphael Guerreiro 27
DEF 14 Nico Schulz 28
DEF 29 Marcel Schmelzer 33
DEF 24 Thomas Meunier 29
DEF 2 Mateu Morey 21
DEF 30 Felix Passlack 23
DEF 26 Lukasz Piszczek 36
MID 28 Axel Witsel 32
MID 8 Mahmoud Dahoud 25
MID 6 Thomas Delaney 29
MID 22 Jude Bellingham 18
MID 32 Gio Reyna 18
MID 10 Thorgan Hazard 28
MID 19 Julian Brandt 25
MID 36 Angsar Knauff 19
FWD 11 Marco Reud 32
FWD 7 Jadon Sancho 21
FWD 9 Erling Haaland 20
FWD 18 Youssoufa Moukoko 16
FWD 27 Steffan Tigges 22

Erling Haaland-Jude Bellingham bromance

Haaland and Bellingham weren’t merely teammates. They were also fast friends, embracing one another throughout their time in Dortmund colors.

There was the time Bellingham gave Haaland a kiss on the cheek while the Norwegian gave a post-game interview following a Champions League win in 2021.

“He’s amazing,” Haaland said. “So he’s 18 and is three years younger than me. It’s crazy. What can I say? He’s amazing.”

Haaland lauded Bellingham for his on- and off-field gifts in an interview with Sky Sports.

“I think we have the same banter together, so we get on really well together, and we have a really good connection on the pitch.”

The friendship has continued even after the pairing split up, with the Norwegian and Englishman sharing tender moments in the years since their high-profile moves to Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively.

Haaland and Bellingham will see their relationship take center stage once more when they meet in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. Odds are, they’ll share an embrace or two before, during or after the game.

MORE WORLD CUP NEWS:

When did Erling Haaland leave Borussia Dortmund?

Haaland left Dortmund in 2022, joining Manchester City after the Premier League contender activated his â‚¬60 million (£51.2 million) release clause. He immediately justified his purchase, breaking the record for most goals scored in a single Premier League season in his maiden year with the Cityzens.

Manchester City went on to win the treble that year, with Haaland claiming the Premier League Golden Boot and European Golden Shoe as Europe’s top domestic scorer.

He has added two more Golden Boots to his collection in the years since, cementing his status as one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever goal-scorers.

When did Jude Bellingham leave Borussia Dortmund?

Real Madrid signed Bellingham in June 2023, securing his services after launching a successful bid of â‚¬103 million. Deployed more as a box-to-box midfielder during his Dortmund years, Bellingham emerged as a serious goal-threat during his first year in Madrid, recording 32 goals in 42 appearances in his first season with Real. He was summarily named La Liga Player of the Season for his efforts.

Bellingham’s goal-scoring exploits have diminished slightly in the years since his Madrid debut. Still, he has magic in his cleats — best reflected by his two-goal outing in England’s 3-2 win over Mexico in the Round of 16.

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