Jude Bellingham Throws Down Gauntlet to Brother Ahead of Club World Cup Showdown

Jude Bellingham has disclosed that he's engaged in a lighthearted goal-scoring rivalry with his younger sibling during the FIFA Club World Cup.

After contributing to Sunderland's promotion back to the Premier League following an eight-year absence, Jobe Bellingham emulated his brother's path by transferring to Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth an initial £27 million ($36.1 million) during FIFA's early mini-transfer window.

This transfer enabled the 19-year-old Jobe to be eligible for Club World Cup participation, resulting in both siblings competing in the same tournament.

Jobe was the first of the Bellingham brothers to score, netting a goal in Dortmund's thrilling 4–3 victory over Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. Jude quickly matched his brother's achievement by opening the scoring as Real Madrid secured a 3–1 triumph against Pachuca the next day.

"Everyone was giving me grief saying he's superior to me, so I needed to respond," Jude commented to DAZN following the match. "We're level at 1–1 currently and we'll see what happens for the remainder of the competition."

Jobe Bellingham has caught supporters off guard since his Dortmund arrival by displaying his first name instead of the family surname on his jersey. This choice has been viewed as an attempt to create distance from his brother and establish his own identity, though the player maintains it's simply because he finds it "cool".

Speaking to FIFA media, he explained: "To be completely truthful, this began when I initially signed with Sunderland. I considered it several times and thought it would be quite cool, but only when others mentioned it to me. I never contemplated it spontaneously by myself.

"A coach I worked with at Sunderland and previously at Birmingham during my youth suggested: 'Why don't you try that at Sunderland?' And, being young at the time, I thought having my first name on my jersey would be cool. So, it was more about that than anything else.

"I wasn't attempting to create some profound significance, though I suppose you could interpret it that way. But I find it quite distinctive and cool, and it's something I'm happy to have."

Trent Alexander-Arnold has adopted a comparable approach since his Real Madrid move, choosing to display only 'Trent' on his jersey. His rationale is that his hyphenated surname has caused confusion among non-English supporters during his previous European travels.