Football's best bromance: Why Bellingham and Haaland break the mould

Football's best bromance: Why Bellingham and Haaland break the mouldImage source, ReutersImage caption, Manchester City's Erling Haaland hugs Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham in 2024ByDan SalesPublished6 minutes agoIt is the football bromance that has consumed the internet during the World Cup.And on Saturday night when England's Jude Bellingham and Norway's Erling Haaland face each other fans will be looking out for more than just goals.The pair's long-standing friendship, dating back to their Borussia Dortmund (BVB) days, has produced some memorable clips - most of which have been given a new lease of life during the tournament.Footage of their camaraderie over the years has become a welcome antidote to toxic masculinity and the darker corners of social media.How do England stop Norway - and Haaland?AttributionSportPublished7 hours agoInstagram in particular is awash with clips during matches of the two hugging or celebrating together.And their confidence in front of TV cameras and on their own social media has won them armies of new admirers.One particular clip in September 2021 after BVB's victory over Bestikas saw Haaland, 25, praise Bellingham as "amazing".On cue he strolled into shot and planted a jokey kiss on his cheek before vanishing.Another moment that has featured prominently all week sees Haaland rush in to seemingly protect Bellingham, 23, after a rival player pushed him on the pitch."If you go back to the days of the 90s or 00s a lot of brands fell out with footballers because they were so badly behaved," PR expert Mark Borkowski told the BBC."If you look at this generation of footballers they are a different breed and I think it is a lot to do with social media."Jude Bellingham conducts himself like a man twice his age, the wisdom, the level-headed nature and the self-awareness.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham...