Goals are indeed the most celebrated thing both on and off the pitch as they can decide the outcome of a match. It is, therefore, normal to expect that the goalscorers too are the most popular type of players in soccer.
However, every goalscorer has always had to be assisted by one of his teammates. These creative players possess the remarkable skill of picking out their teammates through some unbelievable passes. Therefore, the importance of those players who give out a lot of assists is similar to that of a goalscorer.
2. Pele (369 assist) pic.twitter.com/5rF6aUrc5k
— Christian.xo (@niiodartey_) April 26, 2024
Only a handful of players have earned the distinction of assisting more than 250 assists. The rarity of such players demonstrates how difficult it is to have a good assist record. Yet, a few players have achieved this rare feat, which tells us about the creative genius of these players. However, the top spot in this regard is bound to surprise the readers.
Ferenc Puskas ranks number one in terms of most assists in soccer history
Ferenc Puskas was best known for his time at Real Madrid. The Hungarian maestro has delivered an astounding 404 assists in his career and is head and shoulders ahead of some of the modern-day greats. Along with that, the Hungarian has also scored over 200 goals. Puskas was the star player of ‘The Mighty Magyars’, the dominant Hungarian side of the 1950s.
🇭🇺 Ferenc Puskás – The Galloping Majorpic.twitter.com/FI4nQjoH90
— EF12 Comps #BoehlyOut #PochOut #BoehlyOut (@EF12Comps) April 19, 2024
Ferenc Puskas possessed terrific versatility which allowed him to practically play in any position in the forward line. As a captain for both club and country, the Hungarian led his team with great courage and valor on the soccer pitch. The Hungarian has won many illustrious honors in his career such as 3 UCLs, 5 La Ligas, etc.
Honoring his soccer career, FIFA awards the best goal in a calendar year with the ‘Puskas Award’ His assist record makes Ferenc Puskas way clear of legends like Pele and Lionel Messi. The two South Americans have 369 and 361 assists respectively.
Cristiano Ronaldo is not even close to being the footballer with the most assists
However, while Lionel Messi ranks third amongst the players with the most number of assists, the Argentine’s arch-nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo is nowhere near his record. The Portuguese is 9th on this with 268 assists, just ahead of Messi’s teammate in the national team Angel Di Maria (259 assists).
The statistics however can be very misleading as the two players have very different playing styles. Cristiano Ronaldo has been more of a goal-poacher for the majority of his career, while Lionel Messi drops very deep and operates like a creative playmaker. Therefore, the Argentine is bound to have more assists than CR7.
Best ever Lionel Messi Assists.
A Thread; pic.twitter.com/gYt2DACnjW
— ACE (fan) (@FCB_ACEE) November 10, 2023
Such creative playmakers dominate the list with the likes of Johan Cruyff (358), Thomas Muller (302), and Luis Figo occupying the 4th, 5th, and 7th spots. Despite being a striker Luis Suarez has surprisingly swooped into the list at number 6 position, which goes on to show the greatness of the Uruguayan.
Finally, Cristiano Ronaldo’s former teammate Ryan Giggs holds the 8th position in the rankings with 277. Interestingly he is also the player with the most number of assists in the Premier League history with 162 assists.