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While the goalscorers get most of the plaudits in football, the efforts of the goal creators cannot be undervalued. The playmaker has the burden of unlocking the opposition defense and controlling the game.
Only the most technically gifted players have been able to provide the team with goal-scoring opportunities at a consistent rate. Although strikers have the most important job in football, they are nothing without the creators who can make the difference in a tight game.
All of the players on this list have been some of the most skilled footballers in recent years, and have entertained us with their sublime playmaking.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the 10 active players with the most assists:
#10 Neymar Jr. - 218
With a tremendous fan following across the globe, Neymar has been one of the world’s most gifted footballers. The Brazilian departed Barcelona in 2017 and joined PSG for a whopping €222 million.
Neymar’s silky feet have often proven to be too much for the opposition to handle, and he keeps entertaining the world with his flair and skill. Neymar has a total of 218 assists so far. He has three goals and three assists in 10 Ligue 1 appearances this season.
The Brazilian has always been tormented by injuries, preventing him from reaching his true potential. He has faced the same issue this season and hasn’t featured in a game for PSG since late November.
#9 Franck Ribéry - 248
One of the greatest footballers of this generation, Franck Ribery has often been underrated. Ribery formed a deadly partnership with Arjen Robben at Bayern and went on to dominate both domestic and European football. He won the UEFA Player of the Year award in 2013 and also finished third in the Ballon d’Or rankings, only behind Messi and Ronaldo.
Ribery left Bayern and joined Fiorentina in 2019 after a tearful goodbye in Germany. He currently has 248 assists to his name. Ribery was without a club at the start of the 2021-22 season but eventually joined Salernitana.
The Frenchman was key in Bayern’s dominant run over the past several years and amassed a huge trophy collection in his career. He has won nine Bundesliga titles, one Champions League, six German Cups, and four Super Cups with the Bavarians.
#8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 255
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the embodiment of the phrase “aging like fine wine”. The 40-year-old continues to give his all on the pitch and continues to break records at AC Milan. Ibrahimovic is one of the most decorated active footballers, having won more than 30 trophies in his incredible career.
Zlatan is also the only player to have won 11 league titles across four leagues, i.e the Eredivisie, Serie A, La Liga, and Ligue 1. Ibrahimovic currently has 255 assists to his name. The Swede has eight goals and two assists in the Serie A this season. There is no doubt he will continue to add to this tally.
When Ibrahimovic scored against Venezia in early January, he added another record to his name. He equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring against 80 different clubs across Europe's major leagues.
#7 Cesc Fabregas - 260
Cesc Fabregas has always been a midfield maestro, especially during his early days at Arsenal. The Spaniard had bags of talent and was a leader on the pitch. In fact, Arsene Wenger trusted his capabilities so much that he was made the Gunners' captain at the age of 21.
Fabregas was signed by Barcelona, who took a liking to the Spaniard’s playing style in 2011. However, with the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta dominating the midfield, he got very little playing time. Fabregas made his Premier League return in 2014 and signed for Chelsea. He won two Premier Leagues, one Europa League, and one FA Cup with the Blues.
Fabregas had a knack for picking out players with perfect passes and has 260 assists in his career so far. The Spaniard has hardly featured this season due to a hamstring injury he sustained in September.
#6 Mesut Özil - 261
Many players have come and gone, but few have been able to replicate the mastery of Mesut Ozil. The German seemingly has eyes at the back of his head with the way he pulls off outrageous passes.
Ozil spent three years at Real Madrid and joined Arsenal in 2013. He has been one of Arsenal’s best signings in the past decade. Ozil formed a telepathic connection with the likes of Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal, creating goals left, right, and center. In the 2015-16 season, Ozil created 146 chances and finished the campaign with 19 assists and six goals.
Ozil has a total of 261 assists to his name. His final days with the Gunners left a sour taste in many fans’ mouths, as the maestro was sidelined due to a media controversy. Ozil joined Fenerbache in the January transfer window in 2021 and currently has eight goals and two assists for the club.
#5 Angel Di Maria - 269
Angel Di Maria signed for PSG in 2015 and has always been a reliable presence in the Parisian’s squad. Di Maria’s contributions from the wing have been immense and his creativity and vision make him an incredible playmaker.
Di Maria has a total of 269 assists in his career so far. He also holds the record for the most assists in PSG’s history. The Argentine overtook Safet Susic and has amassed a total of 115 assists. Di Maria clocked 18 assists during his first season at PSG, which remains a league record.
Di Maria has four assists and three in the Ligue 1 this season. He has won a tremendous amount of trophies with both Real Madrid and PSG. However, the Champions League has always eluded PSG and he will look to get his hands on the coveted trophy this season.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo - 272
Cristiano Ronaldo made headlines when he signed for Manchester United at the start of the 2021-22 season. At the age of 36, when most players hang up their boots, Ronaldo continues to impress and leaves everything on the pitch.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a total of 272 assists and is sure to add more to his tally. Ronaldo became part of the 800 goal club with his double against Arsenal in December. He is the only footballer to bag 800 goals in the same century.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford has not gone according to plan, and his side have been below par for most of the Premier League campaign. However, he is amongst the goals as usual and is the Red Devils’ leading goalscorer. He has eight goals and three assists in 18 Premier League appearances.
#3 Luis Suarez - 277
Suarez left Barcelona in 2020 and joined Atletico Madrid following a fallout with the Catalans. The fiery Uruguayan rolled back the years with Atlelti, smashing 21 goals and leading the club to their first title since 2013.
While Suarez has always been a prolific goalscorer, he has his fair share of assists as well. Suarez has a total of 277 assists in his career so far. He was reportedly linked with a shock Premier League return, reuniting with Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa. However, Atletico Madrid have announced that they will not let the Uruguayan leave in January.
Suarez has seven goals and two assists in La Liga this season. The 35-year-old has recently equaled Lionel Messi’s goalscoring record in the World Cup qualifiers. Both Messi and Suarez have netted 27 goals in the qualifiers. The striker’s only goal has kept Uruguay’s World Cup hopes alive.
#2 Thomas Muller - 283
Bayern Munich have always been one of the greatest teams in Europe and Thomas Muller has had a big part to play in that. Muller has been at Bayern since he was a teenager and has won everything there is to win. The 32-year-old has won 10 Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues, six German Cups, and seven Super Cups with Bayern.
Muller has always had a knack for creating chances and is Bayern’s leading assists provider. Muller has provided a total of 283 assists in his career. The German has an incredible six goals and 18 assists in just 20 games in the Bundesliga this season.
Muller broke Lionel Messi’s record of most assists in a year with an incredible 32 assists in 2021. That is seven times more than any player from Europe's top five leagues. A Bayern great, Muller will forever be in the club’s hall of fame.
#1 Lionel Messi - 357
Lionel Messi takes the top spot on this list and that is hardly surprising. The diminutive Argentine has been one of the greatest footballers the world has witnessed. A prolific goal scorer and creator, Messi has often single-handedly carried Barcelona during the 18 years that he spent with the club.
Messi has a gargantuan total of 357 assists, and it looks like nobody is going to come close to the Argentine. Messi left Barca after making 778 appearances for the Catalans and signed for Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the 2021-22 season.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has had a tough time with PSG and has one goal and six assists in 12 Ligue 1 appearances. We all know what the Argentine is capable of, and he is sure to make an impact sooner or later. Messi has reunited with Neymar once again and the duo are capable of taking PSG to European glory they desperately desire.
