Bellingham brothers could make England history as Birmingham benefits from their legacy

Jude and Jobe Bellingham could become the first brothers to play for England together in 19 years when the team faces Croatia at Wembley on Thursday — a potential milestone that would also bring attention back to their former club, Birmingham City.

Jobe, 21, is in line for his first England cap, while Jude, 23, has already made 60 appearances. The last brothers to appear together for England were Gary and Phil Neville, against Spain in 2007.

The midfielders came through Birmingham’s academy and played 70 league and cup games for the club between them. Jude left for Borussia Dortmund in 2020; Jobe departed for Sunderland in 2023, later joining Dortmund. They never played together in Birmingham’s first team because Jude had left before Jobe’s senior debut.

Their time at the club remains visible at St Andrew’s, where Jude has a mural and fans still wear shirts bearing the brothers’ names. Craig Courtney, of the Tilton Talk fan podcast, told BBC Sport that supporters valued their connection with the club and their commitment during a fight against relegation.

Birmingham also benefited financially from the transfers. Jude signed a professional contract before joining Dortmund for an initial £20 million, and the club reportedly received at least £10 million when he moved to Real Madrid in 2023. Jobe’s move to Sunderland brought Birmingham a reported £3 million, followed by a reported £4 million sell-on payment when he joined Dortmund in 2025.

Courtney suggested the fees helped the club through a difficult period, though he did not claim they alone explain its current fortunes. After 15 matches, Birmingham are top of the Championship and have plans for a 62,000-capacity stadium, targeted for 2030-31. The club were relegated from the Premier League in 2011 and later spent time in League One.

Jude’s decision to sign a contract before leaving was praised at the time by Birmingham’s then chief executive, Xuandong Ren, who said it helped the club secure a substantial fee during the Covid-19 pandemic. Jobe made his Birmingham debut aged 16 and played 26 times before his first transfer.

Both brothers have returned to St Andrew’s since leaving. Jobe captained England Under-21s there last November, while Jude watched a pre-season match against Barcelona in a Birmingham shirt in July. The prospect of sharing the senior England side would add another chapter to their connection with the club where their careers began.