Louis Tomlinson and Sam Thompson found themselves face-to-face for the first time since the former began dating Sam’s ex, Zara McDermott, during Soccer Aid training at Old Trafford on Thursday. 

Both men are on the same England team for Unicef and observers noted they made visible efforts to avoid eye contact and limit interaction.

However, at one point, Louis was caught lingeringly staring at Sam on the pitch, despite the Made In Chelsea star appearing upbeat and composed.

According to Daily Mail, the moment is particularly charged given the history: Sam and Zara ended their five-year relationship earlier this year, while Zara went public with Louis in March. 

Since then, the new couple has been seen on luxurious trips to Los Angeles and Costa Rica, with Zara even cooking Louis a homemade dinner, shared on social media with his guitar prominently visible in the background.

Moreover, Sam, for his part, has maintained a diplomatic front, publicly stating there are “no hard feelings.” 

Additionally, he even completed a grueling 260-mile charity marathon for Unicef last week, arriving at training in good spirits, despite recent injuries that nearly kept him from playing.

As per the outlet, the pair were spotted wearing matching blue training kits and participated in group drills, but continued to maintain their distance, even their changing room spots were reportedly kept separate.

Despite the awkward undercurrent, both men smiled for a team photo at the end of the session, suggesting professionalism is prevailing, at least on the surface.

Meanwhile, Sam seems to be moving on romantically as well, with rumors of a budding relationship with Love Island’s Samie Elishi, although her absence from recent events had briefly stirred split speculation.

Furthermore, Pete Wicks, Sam’s Staying Relevant podcast co-host, cheekily teased the potential tension between the two, hinting at the emotional weight behind sharing the pitch with a new boyfriend of your ex.