Real Madrid are preparing to take on AEK Athens in the Champions League in less than an hour, looking to make it seven straight victories across all competitions.
Jose Mourinho has named a surprisingly strong starting lineup , with Jude Bellingham among those selected.
The Englishman has added another remarkable achievement to his growing list, becoming the youngest player in Champions League history to reach 60 appearances.
Bellingham has achieved the milestone at just 23 years and 128 days old, surpassing the record held by Los Blancos legend Iker Casillas.
The Spanish goalkeeper reached the same milestone at 23 years and 167 days, but has now seen his record broken.
Bellingham began his journey in Europe's elite competition with Borussia Dortmund after joining them from Birmingham City.
The 23-year-old established himself as one of the best young midfielders in the world before joining Real Madrid.
The Englishman also holds the record for the youngest player to reach 50 Champions League appearances.
Interestingly, he achieved that milestone exactly one year earlier, on November 4, 2025.
One of the first names on the team sheet at Real Madrid, it comes as no surprise that Bellingham has played so many games at such a young age.
Breaking a record previously held by a club legend like Casillas would obviously mean a lot in Real Madrid circles.
The bigger picture, though, is that Bellingham's stature in the sport keeps growing with seemingly no end.
Can Bellingham score a goal against AEK Athens? (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
The 23-year-old has followed up a legendary World Cup campaign with an excellent start to the new season.
In Jose Mourinho, he has found a manager who wants to keep him as close to goal as possible and make the best use of his strengths.
Mourinho's decision to start Bellingham against AEK Athens shows just how seriously the manager is taking the Greek side.
It remains to be seen whether the Real Madrid midfielder can mark his record-breaking appearance with a goal or an assist tonight.
