Most assists in football: Know the top five record holders (2024)

Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi has provided the most assists in football. The Argentina captain has tallied 390 assists in his record-breaking career for club and country.

Messi ended his maiden league campaign with PSG with 15 assists in 26 Ligue 1 outings. This includes a hat-trick of assists for his new club against Clermont Foot in April 2022.

His hat-trick of assists for PSG was the sixth instance in his career where the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner provided three assists in a single game. Furthermore, Messi also became the first player to rack up a hat-trick of assists for two different clubs, having previously done it for FC Barcelona.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil tops the list for most hat-trick assists in football. Ozil has done it on eight occasions, and Messi's recent hat-trick of assists saw him join former team-mateCesc Fabregason six career assist hat-tricks.

Messi is also the top assist provider in the history of Spanish La Liga. The 35-year-old forward has tallied a whopping 193 assists in Spain’s top-tier football league; a number which is significantly higher than the second-placed Xavi (117) on the list.

Bayern Munich’s creative engine, Thomas Muller is second on the list with 296 career assists.Meanwhile, Messi’s former teammate and current Gremiofrontman, Luis Suarez is third on the list of most assists in football. The Uruguayan has recorded a total of 285 assists to date.

Juventus and Argentina wingerAngel di Mariais fourth on the list with277 assists. Following the former Paris Saint-Germain star is hisformer Real Madrid teammate and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldohas provided 268 assists in his career.

Most assists in football

Featured photo: AFP / Ben Stansall