Before England’s quarter-final clash against Norway, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland looked almost too friendly.
The two young stars were singled out in the build-up, with Ezri Konsa suggesting this could be the start of a fierce rivalry at the very top of the sport.
Bellingham and Haaland are famous friends from their time together at Borussia Dortmund, and the pre-match scenes in the tunnel backed up that fact. Arguably the talismen of their respective teams, they kept it light-hearted ahead of the first whistle.
Jude Bellingham winds Erling Haaland up in tunnel in Miami
The tension was building ahead of this World Cup quarter-final, which was almost billed as Haaland against England’s best.
The big Norwegian was already waiting in the tunnel when Bellingham approached him from behind. The England star gave his old teammate a kick up the backside before the two shared a warm embrace.
It was a light-hearted moment between the two top players, but once the whistle went, all pleasantries were forgotten. Bellingham played with a ferocity reserved for the biggest occasion, and came up with the vital equaliser before the break.
Haaland was quieter, but that’s to be expected. A striker with 7 goals from 97 touches coming into the tie, he was biding his time on the last line of defence.
Sometimes, fans get frustrated with the friendliness players exhibit with their supposed rivals, but these are two players who only have one thing on their mind when the ball is in play — winning.
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