The UEFA Champions League has seen its fair share of gifted creators over the years. Some are outright playmakers, some are talented central midfielders, and some are unselfish center-forwards who tend to put their team ahead of personal glory. Irrespective of their roles, these players have popped up with crucial assists that have helped their teams to much-needed victories.
Today, we will tip our hat to the best assist providers the UEFA Champions League has ever seen. Here are the 10 stars with the most assists in UCL history:
#10 Thomas Muller – 28 Assists
A Bayern Munich legend through and through, Thomas Muller has claimed 28 assists in 142 UEFA Champions League games so far. The versatile forward also has an impressive 53 goals to his name.
Muller, who is expected to feature in Bayern’s clash with Manchester United on Wednesday night (September 20), has won the competition twice so far, both times with Bayern Munich. He won it first in the 2012-13 season, helping his team beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the final. The German reached the pinnacle of European soccer once again in 2020 when Bayern beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final.
#9 Kevin De Bruyne – 28 Assists
Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne is widely hailed as one of the best playmakers in the world. The Belgian not only cuts defenses open in the Premier League, but he has also been just as effective in the UEFA Champions League, claiming 28 assists in 70 appearances. He has also proven himself to be quite a potent goalscorer, having netted 14 times in the competition.
De Bruyne, who has represented KRC Genk, Chelsea, and Manchester City in the competition, won the trophy for the first time in the 2022-23 season. He pitched in with two goals and seven assists in 10 games as the Cityzens bagged their first-ever UCL trophy.
#8 Andres Iniesta – 29 Assists
Barcelona icon Andres Iniesta is widely hailed as one of the best midfielders in the 21st century and deservedly so. The graceful passer, incredible dribbler, and opportunistic scorer has 11 goals and 29 assists to his name in 130 Champions League appearances.
Iniesta, who currently plies his trade at the Emirates Club, won four UEFA Champions League trophies during his 16-year stay with Barcelona’s senior team. Iniesta lifted the cup for the first time in 2006 and returned to the podium again in 2009, 2011, and 2015.
#7 Karim Benzema – 29 Assists
Having claimed 29 assists in 152 UEFA Champions League appearances, Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema has claimed the seventh spot on the list. Benzema, who joined Saudi champions Al-Ittihad in July, is also the tournament’s fourth-highest scorer with 90 goals.
Karim Benzema has won five UEFA Champions League trophies in his career, all of them with Real Madrid. The Frenchman, who spent 14 years at the club, first won the Champions League in 2014. He was also one of Madrid’s best players as they won three consecutive UEFA Champions League trophies between 2016 and 2018. Benzema’s most recent UCL triumph came in the 2021-22 season. The center-forward emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with 15 goals in 12 games, scoring 10 of those goals in the knockout stages.
#6 Xavi Hernandez – 30 Assists
One of the best midfielders in the history of soccer, Xavi Hernandez played 151 matches in the UEFA Champions League, scoring 11 times and providing an impressive 30 assists. All of his matches in the UEFA Champions League came for Barcelona.
Currently serving as Barca’s first-team manager, Xavi won four UEFA Champions League trophies as a player. His first triumph came in 2006, followed by successes in 2009, 2011, and 2015.
#5 Ryan Giggs – 31 Assists
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs is the fifth name on this exclusive list, having claimed 31 UEFA Champions League assists over the course of his remarkable career. The former Welsh midfielder played 145 matches in the Champions League, also scoring 28 times.
Giggs, who won a whopping 13 Premier League titles with Manchester United, bagged two Champions League trophies. He was part of United’s Treble-winning squad of 1999 and returned to the podium once again when the Red Devils beat Chelsea in the 2008 UCL final.
#4 Neymar – 33 Assists
Al-Hilal superstar Neymar produced some moments of magic during his UEFA Champions League run with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), scoring 43 times and claiming 33 assists in 81 matches in the competition.
Neymar won the UEFA Champions League once before bidding Europe goodbye earlier this summer. He produced his best-ever return of 10 goals in 12 matches as Barcelona won the Champions League in the 2014-15 season. He came close to lifting it again with PSG in the 2019-20 season, but Bayern Munich spoiled his party in the final, with the Germans picking up a 1-0 win over the French side in the headliner.
#3 Angel Di Maria – 38 Assists
One of the most underrated players of this generation, Angel Di Maria has 38 assists to his name in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine superstar, who returned to Champions League participants Benfica earlier this summer, has also scored 22 goals in 102 appearances so far.
Di Maria has represented four teams in the UEFA Champions League so far: Benfica, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juventus. His only UCL triumph came with Los Blancos in the 2013-14 season. He scored thrice and claimed six assists that season and won the Man of The Match Award in the final.
#2 Lionel Messi – 40 Assists
One of the most creative forwards in history, Lionel Messi has claimed the second spot, having provided 40 assists in 165 UEFA Champions League matches. With 129 goals scored, Messi is also the tournament’s second-highest scorer of all time.
Messi, who represented Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the competition before moving to Inter Miami in July, has won four UEFA Champions League trophies. He won it for the first time with Barcelona in 2006 before winning it again in 2009, 2011, and 2015. In 2009 and 2015, Barcelona completed the Treble by also winning the La Liga title and the Copa del Rey trophy.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 42 Assists
At the top of the pile sits Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo, having claimed 42 assists in 183 appearances in the UEFA Champions League. Of course, he is not just the competition’s leading assist provider, for he is also its all-time leading goalscorer. Between Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, Ronaldo scored a whopping 140 goals, setting a record that is unlikely to be broken any time soon.
Ronaldo has won the UEFA Champions League a record five times, with no player in history winning the trophy more times. He first won it with Manchester United in 2008 before reclaiming it with Real Madrid in 2014. Between 2016 and 2018, Los Blancos won the trophy three consecutive times, with the 38-year-old emerging as the tournament’s top scorer in each of those seasons.
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