Jude and Jobe Bellingham both named in England squad for fixtures against Croatia and Spain
Jude and Jobe Bellingham were both called up to England's senior squad on Friday for the upcoming internationals against Croatia at Wembley on 12 November and Spain in Madrid on 15 November, a selection that could see the brothers become the first siblings to play together for the Three Lions since Gary and Phil Neville 19 years ago.
Jobe Bellingham's elevation to the senior side follows a career path closely mirroring his older brother's, with both players emerging from the Birmingham City academy before moving on to higher-profile clubs and England recognition. Jobe made his Birmingham debut at 16 years and 107 days, 69 days older than Jude when he first appeared for the Blues' senior side. Jobe then moved to Sunderland, helped them win promotion to the Premier League and joined Borussia Dortmund at the age of 19 in a deal worth up to £31m; Jude went to Dortmund at 17 before progressing to Real Madrid and was described in the article as England's star player at the World Cup and one of Real Madrid's best players.
Jobe is the current captain of the England Under-21 side, and England manager Thomas Tuchel said Young Lions head coach Lee Carsley had been advocating for the younger Bellingham's senior recognition. Tuchel said: "He's the standout player," and added: "He's the captain, so the door should always be open for the pathway, always be open for special performances over a long period of time."
On Jobe's recent form and selection Tuchel continued: "That's what Jobe has done on top of it. He found his way, he found his rhythm with Dortmund. He's had an excellent start to his season, is a regular starter and influential." Tuchel also described Jobe's playing profile, saying: "He's a more defensive player than Jude. So strong on the ball, good physique, a big body, a very physical player and can keep possession."
Tuchel pointed to availability issues that created an opening for Jobe, noting Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended for the first game and Bournemouth's Alex Scott is out injured after his debut in last month's 7-0 win over Croatia. The England manager said: "He deserves to make an impression for us," and added: "It's an incredible achievement for the family and for the brothers. I saw his excitement straight away and his smile. He has an open and calm personality. He's one of five players for the central midfield. ... It's now up to him, but he's excited and happy and eager to impress, and that's the best foundation to have a good camp for him."
The selection raises the prospect of siblings featuring together for England, an occurrence last recorded 19 years ago when Gary and Phil Neville played together; the Neville brothers first shared a match for England in 1996 against China. The article notes that before the Nevilles, Bobby and Jack Charlton were the previous pair of siblings to play together for England, both part of the 1966 World Cup-winning squad, with Bobby winning 106 caps and Jack 35. It also records that Nathaniel and Trevoh Chalobah have both played for England but never together, with Nathaniel's solitary appearance an injury-time substitute role in a 3-2 away win against Spain in a 2018 Nations League game and Trevoh making his first of three international appearances against Senegal in June 2025 and being part of England's 2026 World Cup squad.
The article outlines Jobe's recent development at Dortmund, noting he has made 14 appearances for the club this season and that his early months after moving from Sunderland were marked by tentative play. It records that Dortmund manager Niko Kovac said at one point he was surprised how long it might take Jobe to get comfortable in the Bundesliga, and that Jobe worked on building muscle mass in the gym to become more explosive while receiving numerous chances in the side. Dortmund signed Joey Veerman in August, which initially left Jobe's place in the starting XI uncertain, but Kovac has since used him in a more advanced role as one of two number 10s, with the player driving into the final third and showing intensity in pressing; his display in the 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich last Saturday was described in the piece as arguably his best since his arrival in Germany.
Jude shared a throwback photo of him and Jobe after Friday's squad announcement, and both players are now in camp for England's fixtures at Wembley on 12 November and in Madrid on 15 November. Palmer "misses too many opportunities to impress" - Tuchel on England squad.
