Finally a World Cup winner, Lionel Messi has entered the last stage of his professional career.
He waved goodbye to the soap opera that surrounded him during his time involved in Ligue 1 odds, swapping the glitz of Paris for the beaches of Miami.
Reportedly turning down an offer from Saudi Arabia, Messi is set to further increase the profile of Major League Soccer.
Glory in Qatar was a highlight in a career unlike any other. Messi has won everything there is to win, cementing his legacy as the greatest player in the history of the sport.
While he still has what it takes to influence football odds at the highest level, the World Cup win seemed like he completed his career checklist. What is there left to achieve?
The highest-paid athlete in the world, winner of the most Ballons d’Or and with a medal collection few footballers can rival, Messi is one of the most recognisable people on the planet.
Deep into his thirties, his game has evolved. Still capable of match-winning moments of solo brilliance, the Argentine has become more of a playmaker, picking apart defences with a mix of mesmeric dribbling and incisive passing.
There’s a lot of talk about Messi’s goal-scoring. This time, the focus is on his creativity, and the assists he has racked up throughout his senior career.
How Many Career Assists Does Lionel Messi Have?
Lionel Messi has 339 career assists at club level.
There was one assist in 22 appearances for Barcelona B before an outrageous 303 goals created for the full Barcelona team in 778 appearances across all competitions.
Messi then moved to PSG amid financial turmoil at the Camp Nou. He had 35 assists in 75 matches for Les Parisiens.
How Many Assists Does Lionel Messi Have For Argentina?
Lionel Messi has registered 56 assists for Argentina in 175 appearances as of 19th June 2023. Records for assists were not widely tracked until the last couple of decades.
Over that period, however, Messi has clocked the second-most assists in international football behind only his former PSG and Barcelona teammate Neymar.
Messi Assist Records
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Most official recorded assists in football history
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Only player with over 300 club assists since the statistic was first recorded
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Most recorded assists for one club (Barcelona)
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Most assists provided in one domestic league (La Liga)
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Most assists provided in a domestic league in one season (2019-20, La Liga)
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Most assists provided at the Men’s FIFA World Cup (8)
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Most assists provided in the knockout stages of the Men’s FIFA World Cup (6)
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Only player to score and assist in six different club competitions in a calendar year (2011)
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Only player to provide at least one assist in four and five different World Cup tournaments and most consecutive World Cup tournaments with at least one assist
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Most Copa America assists (17)
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Most assists in one Copa America tournament (5, 2021)
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Only player to provide at least one assist in five and six different Copa América tournaments
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Most assists in CONMEBOL qualification matches for the World Cup
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Only player to be top goalscorer and top assist provider in the same La Liga season (2018-19, 2019-20)
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First player in La Liga history to reach 150 assists
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Most assists credited in Copa del Rey finals (6)
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Most assists in El Clasico (14)
Assist Records Under Threat in MLS
Landon Donovan is the current holder of the record for the most MLS assists with 136 to his name.
Messi is unlikely to threaten that mark unless he extends his stay in Miami for far longer than is expected.
Single-season records could be under threat if Messi completes a full campaign with Inter Miami, however.
The iconic Carlos Valderrama has the all-time record with 26 assists in an MLS campaign, while Sacha Kljestan and Maximiliano Moralez are tied for the second-best goal creation seasons with 20 apiece.
While there were rumours of a return to Barcelona, Messi saw MLS as his best option if he could not go back to Catalunya.
“I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami. I still haven't closed it one hundred percent. I'm missing some things but we decided to continue the path.
“The truth is that I had offers from another European team, but I didn't even evaluate it because in Europe my idea was only to go to Barcelona.
“After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it was time to go to the American league, to experience football in a different way and enjoy the day-to-day.
“Obviously with the same responsibility and the same desire to want to win and to always do things well. But with more peace of mind.”
Messi Assists For Argentina By Competition
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World Cup Qualification – 11 assists
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International Friendlies – 18 assists
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Copa America – 17 assists
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World Cup – 8 assists
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Artemio Franchi Trophy – 2 assists
Messi Club Assists By Season
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Barcelona 2005-06 – 4 assists
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Barcelona, 2006-07 – 3 assists
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Barcelona, 2007-08 – 16 assists
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Barcelona, 2008-09 – 19 assists
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Barcelona, 2009-10 – 12 assists
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Barcelona, 2010-11 – 27 assists
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Barcelona, 2011-12 – 32 assists
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Barcelona, 2012-13 – 17 assists
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Barcelona 2013-14 – 14 assists
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Barcelona, 2014-15 – 31 assists
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Barcelona, 2015-16 – 23 assists
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Barcelona, 2016-17 – 20 assists
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Barcelona, 2017-18 – 20 assists
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Barcelona, 2018-19 – 22 assists
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Barcelona, 2019-20 – 27 assists
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Barcelona, 2020-21 – 14 assists
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PSG, 2021-22 – 15 assists
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PSG, 2022-23 – 20 assists
