Jude Bellingham Surpasses Barcelona Icon After Netting 36th La Liga Goal

Jude Bellingham has already surpassed a Barcelona icon after scoring his 36th La Liga goal in Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Malaga.

The English midfielder opened the scoring at the Estadio Bernabeu on Sunday, firing past Spanish goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero. He put in the latest of a long list of excellent performances since arriving at Madrid back in the summer of 2023.

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham Surpasses Barcelona Icon Andres Iniesta

Jude Bellingham has made history during his time with Los Blancos, including breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's record after scoring eight times in his first eight La Liga games. His latest feat is one that will shock fans as he moves ahead of a Barca legend in the top-flight's goalscoring charts.

The England internatonal's 36th goal in 90 La Liga games means he's now scored more times in the Spanish top-tier than Andres Iniesta. The iconic Spanish midfielder managed 442 games, playing in a Catalan side that dominated European football during his career.

For many, Iniesta is the best midfielder to grace Spanish football, a four-time Champions League winner and a World Cup winner with Spain. He left his mark on the game with world-class displays and he was more of a creator than a finisher.

It's worth keeping in mind that Bellingham spent the first season of his Madrid career playing as a false nine. This led to an impressive tally of 19 goals in 28 La Liga games but after moving back into midfield he's since handed goalscoring responsibilities to Kylian Mbappe.

Bellingham managed nine goals in the following season and six during the 2025-26 campaign. He already sits on two this term after scoring in a 2-1 win over Espanyol.

Jude Bellingham on Course to Becoming All-Time Great

Bellingham still has a long way to go in reaching Iniesta's status as an all-time great but he's undoubtedly an England hero. He became the first Englishman to score seven goals at a World Cup earlier this summer, finishing joint-third in the Golden Boot race behind Lionel Messi and Mbappe.

The former Borussia Dortmund star, who urged athletes to talk about mental health, is one of this generation's superstars and he already has a La Liga title and Champions League trophy to his name. Still only 23, it's scary to think of what he'll achieve in the years to come.

Bellingham will next be in action for Madrid when they face Real Betis on Friday (September 4th). They can momentarily move above Barca in the La Liga table with a victory at the Estadio de La Cartuja.