Ronaldo 7th, Beckham 5th, Messi… The Top 10 assists in history

Often overshadowed by the great strikers, assists are nevertheless just as essential to a team. All the players in our ranking have made more than 200 assists in their history, and some of them are still active, such as Ronaldo and Messi.

The statistics for assists have only been recorded since the 1990s and 2000s, so this ranking will only include relatively recent players.

Discover the ranking of the best passers in the history of football since the 90s.

Top 10 of the best assists in history

10. Xavi

Spanish footballer Xavi Hernández is considered one of the best passers in history. His passing ability and vision make him an important part of his team’s play. Although he is no longer often involved in finishing, he is mainly responsible for organising the play of his team.

Xavi has spent almost his entire career with FC Barcelona. He won numerous titles and trophies with renowned players such as Ronaldinho, Messi and Iniesta. He has won eight competitions in Spain, the King’s Cup three times and the Champions League four times. He scored 85 goals and provided 184 assists in 505 games for Barcelona.

The Spanish national team midfielder is also a legend. With La Roja, Xavi won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. He has made 24 assists and scored 12 goals in 65 appearances. He is also included in our ranking of the best Spanish footballers of all time.

9.Luis Suárez

Luis Suárez is a Uruguayan international footballer who has played for some of the best European clubs of all time. He is a highly technical centre-forward and, above all, an exceptional goalscorer. His many assists mean he plays for the right clubs and is a formidable striker.

After winning the Uruguayan league with Club Nacional and the Eredivise with Ajax Amsterdam, Suárez decided to join Liverpool FC. Before joining Barcelona, he won just one League Cup in four seasons. In 2015, he won most of his trophies with the Catalans, including La Liga four times, the King’s Cup four times and the Champions League.

The key member of the Uruguayan team is Luis Suárez. He won the Copa America in 2011 and reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup. He is ninth on the list of all-time top passers with 240 career goals.

8. Thierry Henry

Henry was a dominant striker between the 1990s and 2000s. A seasoned player, he frequently used open space and his speed to outpace opposing defences. As well as being one of the greatest passers of all time, Henry is also a superb butcher and very composed in front of goal.

After starting out with AS Monaco, where he won the French championship, he spent a season at Juventus before joining Arsenal. The French striker stayed with the English club for 8 seasons, winning the Premier League twice and the FA Cup 3 times. He went on to win La Liga twice and the Champions League with Barcelona. Thierry Henry is also one of the top scorers in the history of the Champions League.

Henry is also a huge icon of the French national team. The striker won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with the national team, and reached the World Cup final again in 2006. Thierry Henry is also one of the top scorers in the history of the Euros.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time. Both physically strong and technically adept, he is an extremely versatile striker. As well as topping the all-time scoring charts, he is also one of the best passers of all time.

After making his debut with Sporting CP, Ronaldo quickly moved to Manchester United. There he quickly won his first trophies, including 3 Premier League titles and his first Champions League. His greatest successes came at Real Madrid, where he won the Spanish league twice and the Champions League 4 times. CR7 even became one of the best players in Real Madrid’s history. After 3 seasons at Juventus, he returned to Manchester United in 2021.

Cristiano Ronaldo is also an icon in Portugal, thanks to his exploits with the national team. In 189 international appearances, he has scored 117 goals and provided 34 assists. After reaching the final of Euro 2004, he went on to win the tournament in 2016, as well as the inaugural Nations League in 2019.

6. Mesut Özil

Mesut Özil is a German footballer who has played for Real Madrid and Arsenal. He plays as a playmaker, but can also play on the wings. He is very inventive and has an excellent feel for the game. He is capable of making precise passes for his team-mates, which has earned him the reputation of being one of the best passers of all time.

The young midfielder began his career with Schalke 04, before reaching the UEFA Cup final with Werder Bremen. In 2010, he joined Real Madrid and won both La Liga and the Spanish Cup. Özil then moved to England, joining Arsenal Gunners, where he won the FA Cup 4 times and reached another Europa League final.

With the national team, he played a total of 92 games, scoring 23 goals and providing 38 assists.

5. David Beckham

David Beckham is an icon of English football and one of the greatest passers of all time. Primarily known for his accurate long-range passing, Beckham is a versatile midfielder. However, he is also renowned for his set-piece skills and is considered one of the most talented free-kick takers in history.

The English footballer initially played 11 seasons for Manchester United. He won 6 Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups and the Champions League in 1999. Beckham then joined the superstars of Real Madrid, winning a La Liga championship in 2007, before moving to the United States to join the Los Angeles Galaxy. At the end of the season, he also had a brief spell with Paris Saint-Germain.

His international career has not been as successful, although his performances have been acceptable. In 115 appearances for England, he scored 17 goals and made 40 assists. Despite several appearances in major competitions such as the World Cup and the Euros, Beckham has failed to win any of these titles. Thanks to his exploits and advertising contracts, he has become one of the richest footballers in the world.

4. Ángel Di María

Ángel Di María is an Argentinian international footballer who has played for a number of top European clubs. He is a fast flanker who can also play as a playmaker, and is quick and, above all, technically adept. Although he can also score goals, he is best known for his ability to make superb passes. Di María currently ranks fourth among the best passers of all time.

The young Argentinian began his career with Rosario Central, before joining Benfica Lisbon in 2007. After winning the Portuguese league, he moved to Real Madrid, where he won La Liga and the Spanish Cup twice, but above all the Champions League. After a brief spell at Manchester United, Di María moved to PSG, where he has already won five Ligue 1 titles and five French Cups.

His performances for Argentina have been equally excellent. Selected 122 times, he has scored 24 goals and made 26 assists. Ángel Di María won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, and went all the way to the final at the 2014 World Cup. Most recently, he won the World Cup and played a big part in the triumph.

3. Luís Figo

Luís Figo is a Portuguese national player and one of the greatest wingers of all time. Extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, he is a skilful player, at ease with his feints and dribbles. He has always maintained a consistent performance, both physically and mentally. As well as being an exceptional goalscorer, Figo is one of the best passers in history.

The Portuguese footballer played for four major European clubs during his career. After starting out with Sporting Lisbon, he spent five seasons with FC Barcelona, where he won the Spanish league and Cup Winners’ Cup twice. After a controversial transfer to Real Madrid, he went on to win two more league titles and, above all, the Champions League in 2002. Luís Figo ended his career with Inter Milan, winning four Serie A titles.

He is also an icon in Portugal, although he did not win a title with his national team. Figo nevertheless finished in the final of Euro 2004 and fourth at the 2006 World Cup. In 135 appearances for Portugal, he scored 32 goals and provided 45 assists. The 2000 Ballon d’Or winner is quite simply one of the greatest Portuguese players of all time.

2. Thomas Müller

Thomas Müller is a German player who has spent his entire career with Bayern Munich. An all-round attacking player, he can play in a number of positions, although he most often plays as an attacking midfielder. He is not a very spectacular player, but an extremely effective one, capable of making his team-mates shine. That’s why he’s included in this ranking of the best passers in history.

Brought up at Bayern Munich, Müller is a true product of the Bavarian academy. He is playing in his 15th season with the German team this year. In 672 appearances for Bayern, he has scored 248 goals and provided 268 assists. Thomas Müller has won a total of 10 German championships, 6 German Cups and 2 Champions League titles.

He has also put in some excellent performances for the German national team. After finishing third in 2010, he finally won the World Cup in 2014, scoring 5 goals and providing 3 assists during the tournament.

1. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is considered by many to be one of the greatest footballers of all time. A quick and capable player, he can outwit any defender. In fact, he features in our list of the best dribblers of all time. In addition to his technical mastery, he is an exceptional goalscorer and, above all, the best passer in modern football.

Having trained at FC Barcelona, Messi played 17 seasons for the Catalans. He won every trophy possible with the Spanish club. These included 10 Spanish league titles, 7 Copa del Rey victories and 4 Champions League triumphs. In 778 appearances for Barcelona, he has scored 672 goals and provided 268 assists. In August 2021, Lionel Messi joined PSG, marking the first transfer of his career.

Messi has enjoyed success with the national team. With these improved performances, he had failed to reach the finals of major competitions on several occasions, before winning the Copa America 2021. He went on to win the World Cup. Nevertheless, he is regarded as one of the greatest Argentine players of all time. With 86 goals and 49 assists in 162 appearances, his statistics remain well above average. A seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi also tops the list of the best passers of all time.

The Top 10 best assists in history