Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has expressed his pride in his younger brother Jobe after the younger Bellingham helped Sunderland secure promotion to the Premier League. The Black Cats came from behind to defeat Sheffield United in the Championship playoff final at Wembley, claiming a 2-1 win.
Having come through the Birmingham City ranks similarly, Jude and Jobe are the latest pair of brothers to grab headlines in English football. Following Jobe's success in the playoffs, he put a call through to his older brother in Madrid to celebrate with him.
Jude Bellingham posted a screenshot of the call on his Instagram, captioning it with an X-rated message to his younger brother. The 21-year-old midfielder appeared delighted in the screenshot, while his brother had the winner's medal between his teeth.
"SO FUCKING PROUD!!!❤️🤍❤️🤍🆙🆙🆙 @jobebellingham"
Jobe started for Sunderland against Sheffield United, making his 43rd appearance of the season for the Black Cats. The 19-year-old midfielder lasted the entirety of the game, registering a 91% pass success rate and creating one chance. He won six of 11 duels and made 11 ball recoveries during the game.
Sheffield United took the lead in the first half of the final through Tyrese Campbell before Elieza Mayenda equalised for Sunderland in the second half. Tommy Watson scored a dramatic late winner for the Black Cats in added time to hand them the win.
Jobe has been linked with several clubs in the past year, including Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, as he looks to take the next step in his career. The England U-21 international may now opt to remain with the Black Cats for their first top-flight campaign in nine years.
Jude Bellingham was absent in action for Real Madrid as they claimed a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad to draw the curtain on a less-than-ideal season. Los Blancos already secured second place in LaLiga ahead of kick-off, and ended the season with a morale-boosting win.
In what was a final home game for both Carlo Ancelotti, Lucas Vazquez, and Luka Modric, Real Madrid stuck to the script with two goals, one in either half. Kylian Mbappe scored both goals to end the season as the league's top scorer with 31 goals, an excellent tally from the 26-year-old. The Frenchman became the first player to score 30+ goals in a single LaLiga season since Lionel Messi in 2019.
Los Blancos had several absentees for the game, with the likes of Endrick, Rodrygo, and a host of others missing out through injury. They will now continue under the management of Xabi Alonso from the FIFA Club World Cup next month.