In a plotline that seems ripped straight from a piece of horny fan fiction, Bellingham and Haaland will meet as rivals on Saturday when England faces off against Norway in the World Cup, but honestly, I’m not worried about their bond. “I haven’t spoken to him. The last time I spoke to him was when I met him in Las Vegas, but I haven’t spoken to him since,” Haaland told TV 2 Sport of whether he’d touched base with Bellingham prior to Saturday’s match. “He’s probably focused on himself, England, and everything that’s going on there.” I mean, fair! If I were going to try to defeat my best friend Jazmine at, like, Scrabble or competitive double-cleansing or one of our other mutual areas of interest, I probably wouldn’t be hitting her up to chat immediately beforehand, you know?
I, personally, am not really sure if I’m rooting for England or Norway, or if I’ll even watch their dust-up on Saturday (I have a baby shower and a birthday drinks to hit, I’m a busy and femme-coded girl!), but I’m still admiring Bellingham and Haaland’s bestie-ship, even if it’s the kind that occasionally sits on the back burner while they play. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from rewatching Friday Night Lights while I drink coffee and send emails, it’s that athletic competition can truly bring out the worst between players—but Bellingham and Haaland’s friendship is much-needed proof that it can also bring out the best.