England and Norway are set to face off tomorrow in the Fifa World Cup quarter finals, a crucial match for both teams as today's winner will advance to the semifinals.
Manchester City's Haaland hugs Dortmund's Bellingham on September 14, 2022. Photos by AFP
Football is often not just about sport, but about the personal side — the laughs, the tears, all the moments that make it humane. Ahead of the match, attention has reverted to the friendship between two players — Norway's Erling Haaland and England's Jude Bellingham.
The two athletes play for rival national teams, but they once shared the pitch in Borussia Dortmund. Now their friendship has come to the attention of fans once again — with moments between the two gaining traction on social media.
The Champions League handle shared this short, but wholesome, interaction with the simple caption: "Bellingham X Haaland". Watch the clips, here:
An interview from 4 years ago has resurfaced online, in which the two shared cheesy pick-up lines. Looking at Haaland, Bellingham reads one that says "If you were a vegetable, you'd be a cute-cumber". Watch the full video, here:
Borussia Dortmund also shared an edit of the two athletes, reminiscing over their bond ahead of the much-awaited World Cup clash.
Haaland, Bellingham's stellar performance in Fifa World Cup 2026
Erling Haaland has been a central figure in Norway's historic run at the World Cup, scoring two goals to knock out Brazil — a feat he himself could not believe. He helped Norway secure their first ever World-Cup quarterfinals spot.
His second goal against Brazil on July 5 was dubbed the goal of the tournament by football fans, with 34 per cent of the vote from Fifa.com users around the globe, putting him ahead of Lionel Messi (25 per cent) in his match against Egypt, and Morocco's Azzedine Ounahi in third (16 per cent) following his match against Canada.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham, at 23 years old, is already defining England's game. He took centre stage on July 5 in a match against Mexico, when he scored two goals in the space of just 98 seconds, placing him among some of the greatest performances in the game.
The athlete, who has become the youngest player ever to make ten Fifa World Cup appearances, called it the "best night of [his] England career".
Take a look at some images throughout the years:
Dortmund's Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland (L) and Dortmund's English midfielder Jude Bellingham attend a training session of Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund, western Germany, on April 13, 2021. Photos by AFP
Haaland and Bellingham warm up prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match SC Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund in Freiburg, southwestern Germany on August 21, 2021. Photos by AFP
Haaland (L) laughs with Bellingham (C) after the German first division Bundesliga football match VfB Stuttgart v BVB Borussia Dortmund in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany on April 8, 2022. Photos by AFP
Haaland (L) celebrates scoring his team's third goal to lead 3:2 with Jude Bellingham during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Borussia Dortmund and VfL Bochum in Dortmund, western Germany on April 30, 2022. Photos by AFP
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland (C-L) hugs Dortmund's English midfielder Jude Bellingham after the UEFA Champions League group G football match between England's Manchester City and Germany's Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on September 14, 2022. Photos by AFP
Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland (C-L) hugs Dortmund's English midfielder Jude Bellingham after the UEFA Champions League group G football match between England's Manchester City and Germany's Borussia Dortmund at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on September 14, 2022. Photos by AFP
Real Madrid's English midfielder #05 Jude Bellingham (front) congratulates Manchester City's Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland at the end of the UEFA Champions League football match between Manchester City and Real Madrid at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 11, 2025. Photos by AFP
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Poojaraj Maniyeri
Poojaraj Maniyeri is a Digital Journalist who loves turning everyday conversations into news stories...