Jobe Bellingham likened to former Chelsea great Frank Lampard after fast start at Club World Cup with Borussia Dortmund – ‘Made his mark’
Updated 23/06/2025 at 17:03 GMT+1
When Jobe Bellingham elected to sign for Borussia Dortmund, many wondered about whether it was right to go to the club where his older brother Jude had done so well. However, the early returns from what we have seen from the younger Bellingham at the 2025 Club World Cup thus far have been extremely encouraging for Dortmund fans as they look to build on the end of the season under Niko Kovac.
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Video credit: SNTV
Jobe Bellingham may be playing for the club where his older brother Jude made his name, but the younger brother is determined to do his own thing.
Even in the announcement video from Borussia Dortmund confirming they had signed the younger Bellingham from Sunderland, Jobe said: "I’m not following in anyone’s footsteps" and in subsequent interviews has revealed that he was unsure about joining Dortmund initially precisely because of Jude’s exploits in Germany.
But the younger Bellingham is off to a quick start. He made his debut for his new team off the bench in the club’s opening game at the Club World Cup, a 0-0 draw against Fluminense and then started, and scored in the 4-3 win over Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
The early signs are promising for Bellingham, as he looks to forge his own path.
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The fast start
Bellingham has impressed those who have watched him so far, including Eurosport Germany’s Thomas Gaber, who told TNT Sports: "It's a bit early to draw conclusions, Jobe entered Dortmund straight into a major tournament without any preparation. But he has already made his mark. He performed well on the pitch straight away, especially with Felix Nmecha in the centre of the midfield.
"Jobe is playing as more of a defensive player at Dortmund. No. 8 or even deeper as a No. 6. As mentioned, he has already worked very well with Nmecha in central defensive midfield."
Former Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel has a different comparison to those trying to draw parallels to Jobe and his brother.
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Bellingham joins first training session with Borussia Dortmund
Video credit: SNTV
Speaking on the DAZN broadcast of the tournament, Mikel said: "It's easy sometimes as a midfielder to just pass the ball then stand still.
"But no, he wants to arrive late in the box. He wants to be there when the ball drops.
"He reminds me of a certain player I played with, Frank Lampard. Twenty-odd goals every season by being there and arriving at the right time. I think he's going to score a lot of goals for Dortmund.
"What I like about him is he's very direct. Once he has the ball he's looking up, he's passing forwards, running forwards. He wants to arrive at the box at the right time, and that's exactly what he did.
"The chest control and the volley - he wouldn't have scored this goal if he hadn't passed and then run forwards."
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, as Gaber notes that Dortmund manager Niko Kovac has given his new player some feedback on areas needing improvement.
Speaking to FIFA.com, Kovac said: "He has a strong physical presence and toughness, and he’s got a good sense for the game.
"He’s still getting to grips with what we’ve been doing in training these past four months. At 19, he still lacks a bit of discipline and tended to drift out of position, especially when the opposition had the ball."
The shirt name and number
One other interesting thing about Bellingham’s start at the Club World Cup has been that he has Jobe on the back of his shirt, not Bellingham. This carries on something he did during his time at Sunderland.
Speaking to DAZN, Bellingham explained that it was something he "thought was cool" and had been suggested to him before.
He said: "Obviously, it started when I first signed for Sunderland. I may have thought about it a few times. I thought, yeah, that would be quite cool, but only when people like brought it up to me. I never thought about it like spontaneously on my own.
"Then, someone who's quite special to me, a coach that I had at Sunderland and at Birmingham when I was a kid, said, ‘why don't you do that at Sunderland?’ And just because I was young, I thought it would be cool to have my own name on the back of my shirt.
"Then, someone who's quite special to me, a coach that I had at Sunderland and at Birmingham when I was a kid, said, ‘why don't you do that at Sunderland?’ And just because I was young, I thought it would be cool to have my own name on the back of my shirt.
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Jobe Bellingham #77 of Borussia Dortmund reacts during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group F match between Fluminense FC and Borussia Dortmund at MetLife Stadium on June 17, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Image credit: Getty Images
"So yeah, it was more that than anything. I wasn't really trying to have a deeper like meaning behind it.
"I think it's quite unique and it's quite cool, and it's something that I enjoy having. It just allows me to show that I'm making my own path."
"I think it's quite unique and it's quite cool, and it's something that I enjoy having. It just allows me to show that I'm making my own path."
The other interesting thing to note is that Bellingham is wearing the No. 77. Neither player nor club have given an official reason as to why that is the case. Gaber says that it is "a temporary choice" and reports have suggested the club have earmarked the No. 7 for him but can’t have him wear it for the Club World Cup as it is assigned to Gio Reyna.
The American has been heavily linked with a move away from Dortmund. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke reportedly flew to Birmingham when the club were recruiting Bellingham with a Dortmund shirt that had Bellingham's favourite No. 7 on it.
The rivalry with Jude and familiar chants
Of course while Jobe has been keen to stress that moving to Dortmund is not about him following Jude’s path, there has been a bit of friendly rivalry between the pair at the Club World Cup.
Speaking after he scored in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Pachuca, Jude said: "Everyone was caning me yesterday saying he's better than me so I had to do something today.
"We're 1-1 now and we'll see for the rest of the tournament."
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Dortmund fans serenaded Jude for years with "Hey Jude" at Signal-Iduna Park but for the Club World Cup those in the US have switched it up, hailing the new Bellingham with "Hey Jobe".
"Yeah, I noticed it," Bellingham told FIFA.com after the game against Sundowns.
"Obviously, I understand the background of it, and I don't mind. As long as the fans sing my name in a positive way, then I suppose it's a good thing. So yeah, I’m really pleased."
Dortmund’s next game at the Club World Cup is against Ulsan HD on Wednesday.
There is still a chance that if both Dortmund and Madrid win their respective groups, and then win their Last 16 clashes that we could have a battle between the two Bellinghams in the middle of the pitch in the quarter-finals.
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