Gone are the days when only the man applying the finishing touch got all the credit for the goal. In this current age of statistics, we also get to see who played the final pass that led to the goal. Assist providers are finally getting the recognition they deserve, and we are all for it.
After checking out the highest scorers in the history of the European Championship (EURO), we will rightly shed light on the competition’s leading assist providers. Continue reading to meet the five players who have claimed the most assists in EURO history.
Special note: The data set is not complete, as it has only been a couple of decades since we have started tracking assists.
#5 Arjen Robben (Netherlands): 5 Assists
Kicking off this star-studded list is Netherlands winger Arjen Robben. The majestic ex-right-winger played in nine European Championship matches in his career, scoring once and providing five assists.
Robben, who played for the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, never got to taste European success with Holland. The Netherlands enjoyed their most promising run in EURO 2004, reaching the semi-finals. Unfortunately, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal came out on top in that game, beating the Oranje 2-1.
#4 Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany): 5 Assists
During his playing career, Bastian Schweinsteiger served as the engine of the German men’s national team. He dictated the tempo, tidied up at the back, created chances for his teammates, and scored goals. The ex-Bayern Munich man played 18 matches in EUROs, scoring thrice and claiming a nation-high five assists.
Unfortunately, Schweinsteiger never got to lift the coveted trophy during his career. The closest he and his team came was in 2008 when Spain beat them 1-0 in the final.
#3 Cesc Fabregas (Spain): 5 Assists
Eclipsing the legendary Andres Iniesta, ex-Spain international Cesc Fabregas has emerged as his country’s leading assist provider in the European Championship. The former Chelsea, Arsenal, and Barcelona midfielder played 16 games in EUROs, scoring thrice and claiming five assists.
Fabregas is the only multiple-time EURO winner on this list. He was an integral part of Spain’s most dominant spell in history. He helped them win the European Championship in 2008 and 2012 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
#2 Karel Poborsky (Czech Republic): 8 Assists
One of the finest wingers the European Championship has ever seen, Karel Poborsky has clinched the second spot, having claimed eight assists in the competition. The Czech Republic legend played in just 14 games across three iterations. He also scored a couple of goals along the way.
Poborsky came agonizingly close to winning EURO 1996. However, his team could not cross the final hurdle, losing 2-1 to Germany in the final after extra time.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): 8 Assists
Cristiano Ronaldo is a EURO legend in every sense of the term. The Portugal icon has appeared in a record six EUROs, played an all-time high 27 games, scored an unmatched 14 times, and claimed a chart-topping eight assists. The 39-year-old claimed his final assist of the competition on Matchday 2 of EURO 2024, setting up Bruno Fernandes in Portugal’s 3-0 victory over Turkiye.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has won the European Championship once, in 2016.
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