Bellingham reaches Champions League milestone with stunning heel finish

Jude Bellingham strengthened his standing among Real Madrid's leading players by scoring a spectacular back-heel goal against AEK Athens and reaching a significant Champions League landmark. The England midfielder struck in the 28th minute of Wednesday evening's fourth-round league-phase match, meeting a cross from team-mate Marc Cucurella with an inventive finish.

The goal was Bellingham's 10th for Real Madrid in the Champions League, according to Opta. He has reached that total in 37 appearances for the club in the competition.

Bellingham is now only the second midfielder to score at least 10 Champions League goals for Real Madrid. The other is Jose Maria Gutierrez, better known as Guti, who scored 16 times in 97 matches.

The 23-year-old's latest achievement also places him in a notable group of English players. According to Mister Chip, Bellingham has become only the second Englishman to score in each of the past seven Champions League seasons.

He has found the net in every campaign since 2020-21, doing so during two seasons with Borussia Dortmund before continuing the run across five seasons with Real Madrid. Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has the longest scoring sequence among English players in Champions League history.

His run has extended across nine consecutive seasons, from 2018-19 through the current 2026-27 campaign. The fixture information accompanying the report lists Valencia in La Liga on 07 November 2026.

It also lists Real Madrid against AEK Athens in the Greek Super League on 08 November 2026, followed by Levadiakos.