The world watched as Jude Bellingham rose through the ranks to become one of England’s brightest midfield talents, culminating in his high-profile move to European giants Real Madrid in 2023. But while Jude has captured headlines, his younger brother, Jobe Bellingham, has been quietly creating his own footballing journey.
Jobe has made a name for himself in the Championship with Sunderland, playing a key role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League after a nine-year absence. His performances had not gone unnoticed with a lot of Premier League clubs interested as well. However, with strong rumours of a potential transfer to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, all eyes will be on Jobe to see if he follows in his brother’s footsteps or carves out his own legacy.
Here we take a look at both the brothers –their club career, style of play – the similarities, the differences and what the future holds.
Club Career
Both Jude and Jobe made their senior debut with English club Birmingham City. While Jude was the youngest player to start for Birmingham City at 16 years 38 days old in the 2019-20 season in an EFL Cup first round game against Portsmouth. Jobe became the second youngest player to start for Birmingham City at 16 years 107 days in 2021-22 FA Cup third round game against Plymouth Argyle.
Within a year, Jude Bellingham moved to Borussia Dortmund in Germany. He soon became a regular starter at the Bundesliga club. Jude Bellingham won the Bundesliga ‘Player of the season’ award for the 2022-23 season. Looking at his performances in the league and the 2022 World Cup, top European clubs started taking note and, in the summer of 2023, Spanish Giants Real Madrid came calling for the English midfielder. Jude Bellingham made a move to the Santiago Bernabéu for a reported base transfer fee of €103 million with add-ons. Jude Bellingham had a sensational first season with the Los Blancos, winning La Liga and the Champions League. Jude is now well-settled in the Real Madrid starting lineup and has become one of their most important assets.
Jobe Bellingham on the other hand, made a switch to Championship club Sunderland in June 2023 for an undisclosed fee. The young midfielder became a crucial player for the Black Cats and helped them in gaining promotion, winning the play-off finals against Sheffield United at the end of the 2024/25 season.
While several Premier League clubs were interested in securing his services, recent rumours have suggested that Jobe Bellingham might follow in the footsteps of his brother and move to the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2025.
Style of Play
Both the Bellingham brothers play in the midfield position. Jude Bellingham is a complete midfielder who can play in a forward role as an attacking midfielder – creating chances and scoring goals. He can also play in a deep playmaking role, getting important interceptions, breaking up opposition play and really good out of possession too – tackling, getting the ball and launching it forward. He has exceptional work-rate, ball control, dribbling skills and vision.
Jobe Bellingham is also a box-to-box midfielder good in both defensive as well as offensive attributes. Jobe Bellingham is a great ball carrier, likes to make driving runs forward and link-up with his teammates. He can be a threat from long-range efforts. Defensively, out-of-possession, he tracks backs and makes key interceptions and tackles. Jobe has exceptional work ethic coupled with accurate passing skills.
While both brothers are midfielders, they are different in style. While Jude is known for his physicality, excellent ball-control and tactical intelligence and he likes to play in a more forward role, Jobe likes to play in a deeper role from where he can impact the game and time his runs into the box with strong driving skills and link-up play. Both of them are dynamic and versatile players and can play multiple positions in the midfield.
When it comes to goal-scoring opportunities and finishing, Jude is a more clinical and instinctive finisher both with the head and feet. Jobe on the other hand is better from long-range efforts and more likely looks to create chances rather than scoring himself.
Conclusion
Jude Bellingham has firmly established himself as a key figure in Real Madrid’s first team. Despite the managerial transition from Carlo Ancelotti to Xabi Alonso, Bellingham continues to be held in the same high regard by the new head coach. With the player reportedly content with life in Madrid and fully committed to the club’s long-term vision, there are currently no indications of a departure. Unless something drastic changes, Bellingham is expected to remain at the Spanish giants for the foreseeable future.
Since Sunderland got promoted to the Premier League for next season, a lot of the fans were expecting to see Jobe Bellingham compete in the Premier League. However, on the basis of recent rumours, it seems he wants to follow in the footsteps of his older sibling and continue his development in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.
While Borussia Dortmund is widely regarded as one of the best clubs for youth development—renowned for nurturing young talent and providing them with a clear pathway to first-team football—playing in the Premier League offers the challenge of competing in what many consider the most demanding and competitive league in the world. Nevertheless, it appears that Jobe and his family believe that, much like his brother Jude, his development would be best served at Dortmund rather than at a Premier League club. The hope may be that strong performances in the Bundesliga could eventually pave the way for a move to Real Madrid or another top-tier European club.
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