5 players who have received the most assists from Lionel Messi so far

Lionel Messi is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time and his numbers back up the claim. The Argentine forward has had an illustrious career, which has seen him break and set outstanding records in football.

Messi has won a record seven Ballon d'Or trophies, six European Golden Shoes, eight Pichichi Trophies and is a 14-time Argentine Footballer of the Year, among others.

He is also known for how prolific he has been in front of goal in his career and is one of the all-time highest goal scorers in football.

Messi has scored an impressive 773 senior career goals, with 672 scored while at Barcelona and 15 with his current team Paris Saint-Germain. The remaining 162 goals have come for the Argentina national team.

Aside from scoring, Messi has proved to be one of the most creative footballers of all time and his assists record is spectacular. He has been able to register an impressive total of 325 assists in his club career till date.

This season alone, Messi has registered the most assists by any player in Europe's top five leagues. Without further ado, we will look at five players who have been assisted the most by the Argentine.

#5 David Villa (12 assists)

The Spanish legend is one of the numerous footballers who has benefited from the creative genius of Messi in his career.

Now retired, David Villa is regarded as one of the finest strikers of his generation, as he was exceptional in front of goal.

El Guaje, as he was fondly named by his Spanish fans, scored an impressive total of 338 senior club career goals while registering 82 assists.

Villa also played alongside Messi for three seasons between 2010-2013 during his time at Barcelona. He was the recipient of 12 assists from the Argentine forward during his time with the Catalan giants.

#4 Samuel Eto'o (15 assists)

The Cameroonian veteran is considered one of the greatest players to come from Africa over the years.

Eto'o was a nightmare for opposing defenders during his playing career and also had an eye for scoring spectacular goals.

He made a name for himself in Europe, where he played for notable heavyweights such as Barcelona, Inter Milan and Chelsea, among others.

During his time at Camp Nou, where he spent five good seasons, the retired Cameroonian forward formed a solid partnership with Messi in attack. The Argentine assisted Eto'o on 15 occasions at Barcelona.

#3 Pedro (17 assists)

The Spaniard is arguably one of the most underrated forwards of his generation, as he has had an exceptional career.

Pedro is known for his pace, energetic work rate and ability to play with both feet. He is also a clinical goalscorer and has shown his worth at the highest level.

The SS Lazio forward began his club career with Barcelona, where he spent nine seasons, before eventually leaving in the summer of 2015.

While at Camp Nou, he teamed up well with Messi in attack for the Catalan club. Pedro scored a total of 99 goals for Barcelona, of which 17 were assisted by the Argentine captain.

#2 Neymar (25 assists)

Paris Saint-Germain v Urawa Red Diamonds - Preseason Friendly

The Brazilian forward is currently among some of the best players in Europe and has been exceptional over the years. Neymar is the epitome of Brazil's samba-playing culture, as he oozes flair, high technique, flamboyance and charisma on and off the ball.

While his senior club career began with his native club Santos, it was at Barcelona that Neymar matured into one of the world's best players.

The forward spent four seasons with the Spanish giants, where he scored 105 goals and provided 76 assists in 186 games.

Neymar also formed a lethal partnership with Messi while at Barcelona. They once again reunited at PSG, with the Argentine providing a combined total of 25 assists for the Brazilian thus far in his career.

#1 Luis Suarez (39 assists)

Messi has assisted Suarez on 39 occasions in his career

The Uruguayan player is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time due to his incredible exploits in front of goal.

Luis Suarez has had an enviable club career as he has played for top European teams such as Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

While at Camp Nou, Suarez formed a lethal striking partnership with fellow south American forwards such as Neymar and Messi.

He received a total of 39 assists from the Argentine forward during their time at Barcelona, which is the most he has assisted any footballer.

About the author

David is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda. An Economics graduate, he boasts a work experience of around 5 years, working as a writer at Opera News Hub Nigeria, a radio presenter at Green FM Umuahia, and an analyst at Kaftan TV Abuja. His time as an anchor and a pitch-side commentator in the Higher Football League Cup (HiFL) competition in 2019 is one of his proudest professional achievements.

David started his journey as a football fan after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his father. He’s a Chelsea supporter at club level, and his favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because of the Italian's numerous achievements across a host of European teams. Lionel Messi is the one true G.O.A.T for him and unsurprisingly, his most memorable FIFA World Cup moment is Argentina's glory in 2022. According to David, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are on course to replicating Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic rivalry in the future.

David’s football knowledge and excellent communication skills aid him to connect with readers in the simplest way possible via his articles. He makes it a point to watch matches to gain first-hand information of events and only follows renowned journalists to ensure accuracy of information. When not writing, he loves playing FIFA.

Know More

Edited by Puranjay