Jude and Jobe Bellingham have the potential to be the first brothers to play for England together in almost 20 years, after Jobe received his first call-up to the national team.
Jobe, a 21-year-old midfielder for Borussia Dortmund, has been named in the squad alongside his older brother Jude, 23, a prominent player for Real Madrid, for England’s Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Spain.
Jobe Bellingham’s inclusion comes after a significant improvement in his performance in Germany. Despite a challenging start following his £28 million transfer from Sunderland in 2025, he has since become a regular starter for Dortmund, featuring in six of their eight Bundesliga games this season and contributing two assists. He also had a goal controversially disallowed against Bayern Munich recently.
His brother Jude is already a key figure for England, having earned 60 caps and scored 14 goals since his debut at the age of 17 in 2020.
The Bellingham brothers could follow in the footsteps of other notable sibling pairings who have represented England.
The last brothers to share the field for England were Gary and Phil Neville, who played together in a friendly against Spain at Old Trafford in February 2007, over 19 years ago. Gary made his international debut in 1995, with Phil joining him the following year. Both came through Manchester United’s renowned ‘Class of ’92’ academy.
Gary Neville went on to play 85 times for England, establishing himself as the team’s right-back and participating in three European Championships and two World Cups. Phil Neville earned 59 caps and was versatile in defense and midfield.
However, the Nevilles were not the most recent brothers to represent England. Nathaniel and Trevoh Chalobah joined that exclusive group just last year. They became the 21st pair of brothers to earn senior England caps when Trevoh made his debut against Senegal in June 2025, with Nathaniel having made his single appearance almost seven years prior in a 3-2 Nations League win against Spain in Seville in October 2018.
Perhaps the most famous brothers to play for England were Sir Bobby and Jack Charlton, who achieved the unique feat of winning the World Cup together. Bobby Charlton debuted in 1958 and became one of England’s greatest players, with 106 caps and 49 goals. He was also named European Footballer of the Year after England’s 1966 World Cup victory. Jack Charlton, a defender for Leeds United, made his international debut in 1965 at the age of 29 and earned 35 caps, playing alongside his brother in the 4-2 Wembley final win against West Germany.
The Bellingham brothers are now looking to create their own piece of England’s footballing history. They are not the only famous football siblings to have represented the country; Chelsea’s Reece and Lauren James have both played for senior England teams, with Lauren’s Lionesses debut in September 2022 marking the first brother-and-sister combination to do so in the modern era.
