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Balls only get in the back of the net partially because of the competence of talented forward players. There’s no doubt that great teams need splendid finishers, but what goes into getting goals and securing wins is more than just the single goal-scoring shot fans loud their voices to. Scoring goals is the aim of the game but doing so just wouldn’t be possible without assists.
So who is the player with the highest number of assists in football? The Rosarino football star and spectacular Paris Saint Germain forward Lionel Messi tops the list of players with the most assists in football. Having completed 386 assists in his 1,023 appearances, Messi beats every other player when it comes to who has the highest number of assists in football.
There are phenomenal footballers with a good set of skills in their arsenal, but when it comes to being an overall great player, one of the defining qualities is the ability to create goal-scoring opportunities for other players via assists. This post is about the players at the top of the goals assist table.
Read also about How many players in football?
What Is The Record For Most Assists In A Football Season?
The current record for the most assists in a football season is 21 assists. This record is shared by both the La Liga and Bundesliga football stars Lionel Messi and Thomas Mueller, respectively.
The La Liga football star and Argentine Lionel Messi set his record for the most assists in one season in the 2019/ 2020 season of La Liga, where he beat the previous record holder and his former Barcelona teammate, Xavi Hernandez. Xavi had initially held first place with 20 assists.
On the other hand, Thomas Mueller set his record alongside Lionel Messi for the most assists in a single Bundesliga season in the Bundesliga 2019/ 2020 campaign. Coincidentally, the Bayern Munich talent and former Barcelona star claimed the record for the most assists in one season in their respective leagues in the same year.
Besides the top-performing Messi and Muller, other creative players like Kevin De Bruyne and Angel Di Maria also have impressive counts on the “goals assists in a single season” table. These talented playmakers hold the records for the most assists in their respective leagues.
| Competition |
Most assists Record holder |
Club | Number of assists | Record-setting Season |
| La Liga | Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 21 | 2019/2020 |
| Bundesliga | Thomas Mueller | Bayern Munich | 21 | 2019/2020 |
| English Premier League | Thierry Henry | Arsenal | 20 | 2002/2003 |
| English Premier League | Kevin De Bruyne | Manchester City | 20 | 2019/2020 |
| Ligue 1 | Angel Di Maria | Paris Saint Germain | 18 | 2015/2016 |
| Serie A | Ronaldinho | AC Milan | 18 | 2009/2010 |
| UEFA Champions League | James Milner | Liverpool | 9 | 2017/2018 |
Who Has More Assists, Messi Or Ronaldo?
Messi beats his most intense rival, Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to who has bagged the most assists in their career. While Messi’s record sits at a staggering all-time high of 386 assists in his 1,023 appearances for clubs and country, Ronaldo has provided just 266 assists in his 1,144 appearances.
Lionel Messi
At Club Level
- While playing for FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2021, Messi recorded 266 assists for the Catalan club.
- Messi transferred from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain in 2021 and has since then provided a total of 31 assists for the Ligue 1 club to date.
For the country (Argentina)
- Messi has also bagged 55 assists in his 172 appearances for Argentina.
Messi: Total Assists Count
- Altogether, the Argentine football superstar has earned 386 assists.
Cristiano Ronaldo
At Club Level
- Ronaldo began playing for Sporting Cp in 2002 and continued till 2003, during which he recorded 6 assists.
- He moved to Manchester United in 2003 and continued till 2009, creating 64 assists in this period.
- While playing for Real Madrid, from 2009 to 2018, Ronaldo recorded 131 assists.
- Ronaldo moved to Juventus from 2018 to 2021, where he recorded 22 assists.
For Country (Portugal)
- Ronaldo has also bagged 43 assists in the 196 appearances he has made for Portugal.
Ronaldo: Total Assists Count
- Altogether, Ronaldo has amassed a total of 266 assists.
Who Has The Most Assists In Football 2022?
Lionel Messi still takes the lead as the single player to have provided the most assists in 2022. After completing a total of 51 matches in 2022 for the Argentinian national team and his club, Paris Saint Germain, the Rosarino-born star ended the football year with a total of 30 assists to his credit.
Other players closely rivaling his record include Dusan Tadic, Neymar Jr., Cody Gakpo, and the sensational Kevin De Bruyne. These top four players have provided the most assists after Lionel Messi in 2022.
Dusan Tadic (28 assists in 39 matches)
Regarding the number of assists provided in a single calendar year, the Ajax forward and attacking midfielder has been in an uphill battle with Lionel Messi. Dusan successfully beat Messi to it in 2021 when he led with an assist and ended the year as the highest assists provider with 37 assists. However, Dusan still came really close with 28 assists in 39 matches in 2022.
Kevin De Bruyne (27 assists in 53 matches)
The exceptionally talented Manchester City midfielder and Belgian professional footballer Kevin De Bruyne also topped the list of the players with the most assists in 2022, with 27 assists in 53 appearances.
Cody Gakpo (23 assists in 53 matches)
Dutch player and Liverpool winger, Cody Gakpo, provided an astonishing 23 assists after participating in a total of 53 matches.
Neymar Jr. (19 assists in 42 matches)
Although he is one of the underrated players of our time, the outstanding Brazilian talent and Paris Saint Germain star Neymar Jr. ended 2022 as the fifth-highest assists provider. Neymar provided a total of 19 assists after participating in 42 matches in 2022.
Who Has The Most Assists In Football History?
The Argentine and Paris Saint Germain forward Lionel Messi holds the record for the player with the most assists in football history. Messi’s all-time high number of assists sits at 386, which he amassed after participating in 1,023 matches. This beats the records set by legends like Pele and Johann Cruyff.
While the closest rival to Messi’s record in football history is the renowned Brazilian king of soccer, other names like the Hungarian legend Ferenc Puskas still come to mind. And although the records set by these football legends lasted for decades, Messi’s astonishing assists statistics during his career so far have crowned him the player with the most assists in football history.
Here are the records of some of the players with the most assists in world football history after Lionel Messi.
Pele (369 assists in 812 appearances)
The Brazilian legend Pele, who is widely regarded as the greatest footballer to have ever walked the planet, comes second after Lionel Messi. He had a stellar career. Pele made a record of 369 assists in the 812 official matches he played during the course of his career, during which he played for the Brazilian national team and his club, Santos.
Ferenc Puskas (362 assists in 793 appearances)
Ferenc Puskas was the Hungarian sensation of the 60s and is reputed to be the first international football star. He led his country to claim the 1952 Olympics gold medal and to victory at the 1954 World Cup. Puskas recorded a total of 362 assists in his playing days after making 792 appearances.
Johann Cruyff (358 assists in 720 appearances)
Cruyff is prominent for being the brain behind the popular dribble move named after him- the Cruyff turn. The Dutch legend did not just take home the Ballon d’Or three times during his awe-inspiring career but also made a record 358 assists in 720 appearances, making him one of the players most assists in the history of football to date.
Luis Figo (283 assists in 919 appearances)
Luis Figo led an exceptional football career and ended his career with a total of 283 assists to his name in the 919 matches he played. Also, Figo didn’t just make it to the list of players with the most assists in football history but also provided 106 assists in La Liga and remained the record holder for the most assists in La Liga for a long time.
However, Messi broke Luis’ record when he made his 107th assist in his 300th appearance in La Liga.
Ryan Giggs (277 assists in 1,027 appearances)
The Welsh player Ryan Giggs spent his football days playing as one of the red devils of Manchester United. He was an exceptional player, prominent for creating goal-scoring opportunities from either flank on the football field and walked off the football stage with a total of 277 assists in 1,027 appearances credited to his name.
David Beckham (259 assists in 810 appearances)
The English footballer and one of the best football talents in football history, David Beckham, is also one players with the most assists in football history. Beckham’s astonishing pass range, vision, and killer crossing ability helped him rake in 259 assists during his career, during which he featured in 810 matches.
Who Has The Most Assists In Modern Football History?
The Paris Saint Germain football star and 2022 world cup winner, Lionel Messi, is the player with the most assists in modern football history. Lionel Messi’s record of 386 assists ranks the highest.
Other equally exceptional assist providers include the Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller, Athletico Madrid’s Luis Suarez, Cesc Fabregas, Mesut Ozil, Xavi, and of course Messi’s toughest rival, the Portuguese football star, Cristiano Ronaldo. Apart from the fact that these players can be classed as being the world’s finest players, their playmaking skills and career assists records speak for themselves.
Thomas Muller (294 assists)
The Bayern Munich complete forward player and great all round technician come next to Messi on the list of players with the most assists in modern football history. With a total of 294 assists in his football career.
Luis Suarez (282 assists)
The present Club Nacional de Football frontman and Uruguayan, Luis Suarez, comes third with a total of 282 assists in the course of his football career.
Angel Di Maria (274 assists)
Being one of the finest playmakers of our time and a great assists provider, Angel Di Maria has 274 assists penned down in his name. This assist record places the Juventus football star in the fourth position of players who have the most assists in modern football.
Cristiano Ronaldo (266 assists)
Ronaldo is inarguably one of the world’s finest players and although he beats Messi when it comes to the number of goals each player has bagged during their career, Ronaldo has recorded a total of 266 assists which makes him fifth on the list.
Mesut Ozil (258 assists)
The German player, World Cup winner, and one of the best attacking midfielders of our time, Ozil, has had a stellar career playing for over three clubs since 2006. Ozil’s number of assists sits at 258. He is also regarded as one of the top three players with assists in the English Premier League.
Xavi (238 assists)
Xavi is no doubt one of the best central midfielders of the century. After making a total of 767 official appearances, Xavi recorded 238 assists and received the award for World’s best playmaker four times.
Who Is Known As the King Of Assists In Football?
Lionel Messi’s all-time high assist record of 386 in 1,023 appearances stands unbeaten and stands him out as the king of assists in football. The Argentine superstar and Paris Saint Germain forward took the lead when he broke Pele’s record of 369 assists.
However, Messi is not alone in this category of players with lots of assists to boast of. The legends Pele, Ferenc Puskas, Johann Cryuff, and Luis Figo had long established assists records long before Messi came to the playing field. Notwithstanding, the Argentine football superstar has broken that record for an all-time high in goal assists in football. To bet on football you can visit the page sports online betting. You will also find more fun by visiting the online casino games page.
Conclusion
Football is about getting balls in the back of the net, but that would only be possible with assists. That’s why besides scoring many goals, a good metric for assessing talented footballers is the number of assists they can provide. And Lionel Messi remains the undisputed authority when it comes to assists in football.
