Bundesliga brothers: El Mala, Bellingham, Schlotterbeck, Götze, Kroos and more

Saïd and Malek El Mala became the first brothers to combine for a Bundesliga goal since 2006, joining a storied tradition of sibling pairs in Germany's top flight.

Saïd El Mala scored from a Malek El Mala assist on Matchday 9 of the 2026/27 season, making them the first pair of brothers to combine for a goal in the Bundesliga since Hamit and Halil Altintop in 2006. The Cologne duo are the latest siblings to feature in the German top flight, joining an ever-increasing list spanning over 60 years.

Saïd, 20, has impressed since joining Cologne at the start of 2025/26, finishing that campaign as their leading scorer with 13 goals and earning a debut for Jürgen Klopp's Germany. Malek, 21, also arrived in summer 2025 but had to wait for his opportunity.

When it came against Union Berlin, he made an immediate impact, scoring within minutes of coming on. The brothers then combined for a goal in the derby against Bayer Leverkusen the following week, becoming the first sibling pair at Cologne since Klaus and Thomas Allofs in 1986/87.

The article profiles other famous Bundesliga brothers including Jude and Jobe Bellingham (both at Borussia Dortmund), Nico and Keven Schlotterbeck (Freiburg and Augsburg), Mario and Felix Götze (Dortmund, Bayern and others), and Toni and Felix Kroos (Bayern and Werder Bremen/Union Berlin).