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Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham has registered 24 goal contributions in the UEFA Champions League at 21 years of age, equalling Lionel Messi's numbers at the same age. However, the England superstar remains behind his teammate Kylian Mbappe's 37-goal contributions in the competition at 21 years of age.
Bellingham equaled Messi's numbers after providing two assists in Real Madrid's 5-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League on January 22. Apart from assisting Rodrygo's first two goals in the game, he also delivered three key passes and created one big chance.
According to GOAL, Jude Bellingham has 24 goal contributions (11 goals and 13 assists) in 41 appearances in the UEFA Champions League at the age of 21. His numbers are equal to Lionel Messi's goal contributions in the competition at his age of 17 goals and seven assists.
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However, Bellingham's numbers only rank him third on the list of the highest number of UEFA Champions League goal contributions by players aged 21 or less. First on this list is Bellingham's Real Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappe who had 37 G/A to his name over his appearances for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain at 21 years.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland stands second on the list with 26 goal contributions in the UCL at the age of 21. Meanwhile, at 21, Messi had two UCL titles to his name (2005-06 and 2008-09), while Bellingham has one title (2023-24) so far. Haaland's first UCL title came when he was 22 in the 2022-23 season, while Kylian Mbappe is yet to win his first title.
When Jude Bellingham made his pick between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
During his time at Borussia Dortmund (2020-2023), Jude Bellingham was once asked to choose between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Speaking on the club's official channel, the Englishman did not hesitate to pick the Argentine superstar.
He said (via SPORTBible):
"Messi for me, for sure. You can just watch him and think like 'How does he do that?' Every time I watch him, he just does something that I just think 'You can't be human'."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are often considered two of the greatest legends to grace the beautiful game. Pundits and fans have argued about who's the better footballer for ages. Their rivalry reached its zenith between 2009 and 2018 when Lionel Messi was at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham's career at Real Madrid also began on a successful note. The Englishman won the UEFA Champions League, LaLiga, and the Supercopa de Espana in his first season at the club. He has contributed 32 goals and 22 assists in 70 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos.
