Jude Bellingham matches incredible Lionel Messi record in Champions League; but still trails Mbappe & Haaland

The Englishman contributed to two assists in Real Madrid’s win over RB Salzburg.

Real Madrid ace Jude Bellingham has equalled Lionel Messi’s Champions League record for most goal contributions before turning 22.

In their most recent UCL match, Los Blancos defeated RB Salzburg 5-1, with England international Bellingham being the game’s standout. In a decisive win, he recorded two incredible assists, both of which set up Rodrygo.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has been under pressure for Real Madrid’s patchy European reocrd this season, was somewhat relieved by the win.

Bellingham was instrumental in the game and with 11 goals and 13 assists, he now has 24 Champions League contributions overall and in reaching that mark he has equalled Lionel Messi’s record.

Messi scored 17 goals and provided seven assists for Barcelona at the age of 21. Bellingham still lags behind Kylian Mbappe, who contributed 26 goals, and Erling Haaland, who scored an amazing 37 goals before turning 22.

Jude Bellingham’s 2024-25 season so far

Compared to his incredible 2023–24 season, Bellingham has been somewhat sub-par this season. In LaLiga, the English midfielder presently averages 0.48 goals per 90 minutes, which is less than the 0.74 per minute he scored the previous season.

Real Madrid’s injury issues and their inability to effectively integrate new recruit Kylian Mbappe may be the cause of their decline in performance.

Bellingham has nevertheless scored nine goals and provided nine assists in the 2024–25 campaign. Even though he has played more than 200 fewer minutes than the French star, his 18 goal contributions are only three less than Mbappe’s.

In just 70 games across all competitions since joining Real Madrid, Bellingham has bagged 32 goals and registered 22 assists.

He has accomplished these figures while playing midfield, which is impressive as he is now integrating in a playmaker role than a goalscorer since the arrival of Mbappe.

If Real Madrid wants to retain their European title, they will need Bellingham’s skills. If they don’t win their last league-phase game, they might have to play a two-leg playoff tie to go to the next round.

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