A major part and the deciding factor in football are the goals and goalscorers often walk away with the plaudits, but the work done in order to create a goal goes criminally unnoticed.
Some of the world’s greatest playmakers or creative midfielders make the job of strikers quite easy. Strikers always expect service in the box from their teammates but only creative players are able to do so due to their superior technical ability and vision. Their every incisive pass may not end in a goal or lead to a memorable event on the pitch, but its importance is not diminished.
Without much delay, let us take a look at the top 5 players with the most assists in football history.
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The most assists in football history
Lionel Messi—387 assists
Arguably the greatest player to ever grace the game, Lionel Messi tops the assists list with 387. Having fired Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar last year, there is hardly anything left for the diminutive playmaker to accomplish in this game.
Thomas Muller has earned legendary status at Bayern Munich due to his years of service and immense contribution to their massive success.
A product of Bayern’s youth system, the German broke the Bundesliga record for assists by providing 21 in a season (a record in the top five leagues jointly held with Lionel Messi in La Liga). Billed by many as the ‘Raumdeuter‘ or ‘space interpreter’, Muller is one of the most intelligent footballers of the modern era.
The 33-year-old continues to perform well for Bayern and Germany. He has racked up 291 assists for club and country.
Luis Suarez—283 assists
Luis Suarez is regarded as one of the best strikers of this generation. However, he is a lot more than just a prolific goalscorer. The Uruguay international is one of the most complete forwards who can do almost everything with and without the ball.
At the peak of his powers, Suarez was a force to be reckoned with and his trophy cabinet is filled with silverware. Currently plying his trade in Brazil with Gremio, the 36-year-old has 283 assists to his name for club and country, which is a remarkable return for a striker.
Angel di Maria—277 assists
One of the most underrated footballers of this generation, Angel di Maria has played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. One of the best Argentian players, the tricky winger, played a crucial role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar last year.
Known for his vision, deft footwork, passing ability, shooting range and set-piece delivery, Di Maria continues to impress with his current club Juventus even at the ripe age of 35. He has 277 assists to his name for club and country.
Kevin de Bruyne—268 assists
Kevin de Bruyne is one of the best midfielders in the game right now. He possesses the incredible ability to find his teammates in and around the box from the toughest of angles.
The Belgium international, who has the knack of feeding fellow attackers who are in a better position to score, has registered 17 assists in 29 games across all competitions this season. De Bruyne’s brilliance on the ball is excellent and he has 268 assists under his banner so far.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
