Jude Bellingham Ties Lionel Messi’s UCL Record

Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has had a stellar year and a half.

Since joining Los Blancos in the summer of 2023, he has won the La Liga title, the UEFA Champions League, and was named Player of the Season in La Liga for 2023-24.

At the age of 21, the English star boy has already had a career many would dream of.

Now, Jude has equaled one of Lionel Messi’s legendary records following his performance in Real Madrid’s 5-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg last Tuesday. Against Salzburg, he recorded two assists as Rodrygo scored twice to assert their lead against the German side. Those contributions ensured that Bellingham equaled Messi’s Champions League goal contributions for players aged 21 or under.

Bellingham now has 24 Champions League goal contributions, the same amount Messi had at his age during his earlier years at Barcelona. The Argentine recorded 17 goals and 7 assists in the Champions League before turning 22.

However, fellow teammate Kylian Mbappe, who scored against Salzburg, holds the record for most contributions at 37 for players 21 or under. Most of these contributions came during his time at his former club Paris Saint-Germain, where he was a first-team starter since the age of 18.

Real Madrid have had a disappointing time in the Champions League so far this season, where they currently sit in 16th and look set to compete in a playoff to advance to the knockout rounds.

Bellingham has also had a slower start to the season, but manager Carlo Ancelotti adjusted his role in their tactical setup by allowing him to have a freer role higher up the pitch, enabling him to make a bigger impact on their attack. The move has already paid dividends, as evidenced in his performance in their 5-1 trashing of Salzburg.

Real Madrid will play against French side Brest (13th) in their final group-stage Champions League match next week, January 29th.