The England midfielder did not get the result he was hoping for as the Reds won 1-0 at Anfield, but it is another milestone for someone who has already achieved so much in his young career.
Bellingham has now surpassed some of the greatest players in the modern history of European football, including some of his teammates.
Youngest players to have played 50 times in the Champions League:
5. Rodrygo – 23 years, 3 months, 21 days
The first of four Real Madrid players on this list, Rodrygo made an immediate impact for Los Blancos after completing his move from Santos in 2019.
The Brazilian scored three goals against Galatasaray in November, becoming the second-youngest player ever to score a hat-trick and the first player born in the 21st century to score in the Champions League.
The forward isn’t one of the big names in Real’s front line, but he nevertheless played a key role as they won the trophy in both 2022 and 2024.
4. Kylian Mbappé – 22 years, 11 months, 4 days
It’s hard to believe that Kylian Mbappe made his breakthrough at AS Monaco ten years ago. He became the club’s youngest-ever first-team player when he made his Ligue 1 debut in December 2015.
The following season, the striker stunned the world in the Champions League, scoring four goals in the knockout tie against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund to send Monaco to the semi-finals.
Mbappe made the inevitable move to PSG that summer and was loaned out to the club with a mandatory buy option of £166 million, making him the most expensive teenager ever. He has since joined Real Madrid but has yet to win the Champions League.
3. Cesc Fabregas – 22 years, 10 months, 27 days
It’s difficult to describe the excitement that surrounded Cesc Fabregas’ breakthrough at Arsenal. The Spaniard made his debut at the age of 16, replacing Patrick Vieira, an unenviable task for any youngster, but it soon became clear that he was up to the task.
Fabregas was a regular in Arsène Wenger’s starting line-up after the Frenchman’s departure in 2005 and became the creative focal point for the next six years. In 2004/05 he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the history of the Champions League. The following season he played in the final against former club Barcelona, losing 2–1 in Paris.
The midfielder returned to Barca in 2011, his only major honor with the Gunners coming in the 2005 FA Cup.
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2. Iker Casillas – 22 years, 5 months, 2 days
Iker Casillas was a sensation when he broke into the Real team as an 18-year-old. In September 1999, he became the youngest goalkeeper ever to play in the Champions League, a record that would stand for eighteen years. That same season he would become the youngest goalkeeper to play and win the final.
The Spaniard made 177 league appearances in his illustrious career, only one of which came off the bench; the 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen.
1. Jude Bellingham – 22 years, 4 months, 6 days
Sometimes you have to remind yourself how young Bellingham is because it feels like he’s been around for a long time.
After breaking into the Birmingham City first team at the age of 16, he joined Borussia Dortmund the following year. At 17 years and 113 days, he became the youngest Englishman to play in the Champions League and made 25 appearances in the competition for Die Schwarzgelben.
Bellingham moved to Real Madrid in 2023 and lifted the trophy in his first season at the club, beating his former team in the final and claiming the Champions League Young Player of the Season award. He was only twenty at the time.
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