Why everyone is talking about the Bellingham brothers

Have you ever played against your sibling in a sports match?

Well, that's exactly what could happen to England superstar Jude Bellingham later this month.

That's because Borussia Dortmund are in advanced talks to sign his younger brother Jobe from Sunderland.

The German side have been drawn to play Jude's team, Real Madrid, in the Club World Cup which starts next week.

Keep reading to find out more about the brothers and the new look Fifa tournament.

Who is Jude Bellingham?

Chances are you've heard of the Real Madrid and England midfielder.

Judging by the awards and titles the 21-year-old has already racked up, it's safe to say he's one of the best players in the game right now.

But where did it all begin?

Jude Bellingham grew up in Stourbridge, a town west of Birmingham, in the West Midlands.

As a young boy he played for Stourbridge Juniors, a club set up by his father Mark Bellingham, a former non-league football player.

Jude started his footballing career at Birmingham City's academy in their youth side as an under-8 and became the club's youngest first-team player at the age of just 16.

Bellingham's performances attracted interest from some of the biggest teams in the world, and after just one season, he moved to German club Borussia Dortmund - the same side that are currently trying to sign Jobe.

Dortmund paid £25 million for Jude, which is the biggest ever transfer fee for a 17-year-old.

But three years later, Bellingham was on the move again.

In June 2024, he signed for Real Madrid - one of the world's biggest football clubs - in a deal worth £88.5m.

Since joining the Spanish giants, he's already won the La Liga title and Spanish Super Cup, as well as the Champions League and Uefa Super Cup last year.

Bellingham has been breaking all sorts of records for club and country throughout his career.

He was Dortmund's youngest ever scorer, he's England's third youngest ever player and he's the youngest Englishman to ever play in the Champions League.

In 2023, Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded for being the world's best player under the age of 21.

Who is Jobe Bellingham?

19-year-old Jobe is two years younger than his famous sibling.

Jobe also began his career in Birmingham City's academy, making his first-team debut as a 16-year-old.

He made 24 league appearances for the west Midlands side before joining fellow Championship club Sunderland in 2023.

Just like his older brother, Jobe has shown plenty of talent too.

Last month, the midfielder was named the Championship's Young Player of the Year last month - five years after Jude won the award.

He was also named in the Championship team of the season before helping Sunderland beat Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final last month.

Since then, the 19-year-old has been the subject of plenty of interest across Europe having helped the north-east side return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

If Borussia Dortmund complete the deal to sign Jobe before 10 June, then he would be eligible to play in the Club World Cup, which also features his brother Jude's current club Real Madrid.

Jobe has represented England at all age-group levels up to under-21.

So far, he has made four appearances for England's under-21s and has been named in their squad for the European under-21 Championship, which is due to take place in Slovakia later this month - at the same time as the Club World Cup.

However, despite the clash, England's under-21 boss Lee Carsley told BBC Sport that they would release players for the Fifa tournament.