Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and more: Players with highest goals + assists in Europe's top five leagues since the 2017-18 season

1. Lionel Messi | 125 G+A (88G + 37A)

Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona

There could simply be no other name to top a list of this nature. Lionel Messi is considered by many as the greatest ever player to set foot on a football pitch and it is hardly surprising to see the diminutive Argentine topping another list by quite a margin.

One of the most consistent goalscorers, assist-providers and playmakers over the last decade or so, Messi this season has picked up right where he left off last season as he has already registered 18 goals and 12 assists in just 21 games in La Liga Santander, with 2 goals in the Champions League.

However, once his numbers from previous seasons have been stacked up together, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner's numbers are absolutely bonkers to a point where they appear fabricated. Messi has scored a stunning 88 goals and set up a further 37 since the beginning of the 2017/18 season in just 7416 minutes.

369 - Lionel Messi scored more goals within the top five European leagues than any other player in the 2010s; 34 ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Rivals. #Opta2010s pic.twitter.com/1OK8kBqTSP

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2019

For context, Mo Salah is the player with the next best figures with a G+A of 93, which is 22 less than that of the Argentina captain - and he achieved those figures playing approximately 800 minutes lesser than the Liverpool superstar.

Lionel Messi is, as ever, the gold standard for attacking output - and it remains to be seen if anyone can step up to challenge for the Barcelona icon's throne.

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