LIonel Messi had a great year as Inter Miami’s star. He promised to lead the team to the top, and he accomplished that by winning the MLS Cup. Then, almost immediately, he became a celebrity in the sports world, creating an unusual phenomenon in India with his visits to the Asian country. But not only that, but he also set a new record that could never come close to that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the tournament, where he played against Inter Miami, Messi played 54 games and provided 29 assists, making him the top assist player in football. With this number, he extended his own record, reaching 407 assists in his career.
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I will never forget that he set a historic record by reaching 405 assists against New York City FC in November 2025. Two more names have since emerged and continued to widen the gap in the category.
In the list of the best assist providers, Messi is followed by Akram Afif of Qatar’s Al Sadd. He recorded 27 assists in 47 matches with the Qatar national team and the club.
Similarly, the “free” scored 46 goals compared to the 41 goals achieved by the Portuguese in all competitions, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring list for 2025.
Alexis Vega enters the top 10
The dream year that the Mexican experienced in the Toluca championship brought him even more surprises. He is included in the final list of the world’s 10 best assisters. He is ranked 10th in that selection group.
World’s top assistant in 2025
These rankings are based on direct passes that led to goals in both club and national team matches.
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami). Akram Afif (Al Sadd) provided 29 assists in 54 games. Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC) had 28 assists in 47 games. Heldan Shaqiri (Basel) has provided 26 assists in 74 games. Rayan Cherki (Manchester City) had 25 assists in 51 games. Michael Oliseh (Bayern Munich) has provided 24 assists in 66 games. Christos Tzoris (Club Brugge), who has provided 24 assists in 53 games. Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahly) provided 24 assists in 67 games. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) recorded 23 assists in 60 games. Alexis Vega (Toluca) had 23 assists in 54 games. 21 assists in 69 games
