The Champions League is the pinnacle of European football. Players from Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid all make it into the top 10 assisters in the competition.
Scoring goals is said to be the hardest thing to do in football, but the creative geniuses out there also deserve some praise. This list in particular is stacked with world-class talent.
We’ve collected a list of the top 10 players with the most assists in Champions League history. Note: both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cesc Fabregas have provided 26 assists, but miss out due to an inferior assist per 90 ratio.
10. Kevin De Bruyne – 28 assists
One of only five players to notch over a hundred assists in the Premier League, De Bruyne has also stepped up on the big occasions in Europe.
The Belgian finally got his hands on the trophy earlier this year. He’d played a starring role in Man City’s run, but he was forced to agonisingly watch on from the sidelines after suffering an injury against Inter in the final.
9. Andres Iniesta – 29 assists
The Spanish playmaker won all four of the Champions League finals he starred in. Iniesta defined a generation of Spanish football and is arguably the best midfielder of all time.
The diminutive wizard was capable of dribbling around an entire team or killing you with a single pass. One of his last assists in the competition came in the 2014-15 final against Juventus to set up Ivan Rakitic for the opening goal.
9. Karim Benzema – 29 assists
The French forward aged like a fine wine and only got better in his thirties. Benzema was often regarded as the third wheel behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, but his impact in Real Madrid’s 2021-22 Champions League triumph cannot be underestimated.
He finally received the plaudits he deserved that year, going on to win the Ballon d’Or after his goalscoring heroics. But let’s not forget just how useful he was at playing provider for his world-class Los Blancos team-mates.
6. Xavi Hernandez – 30 assists
The Spanish maestro was the heartbeat of Barcelona for almost two decades and is now putting his supreme football intelligence to good use in the dugout.
6. Ryan Giggs – 30 assists
The Welsh wizard had a career at Old Trafford which spanned from 1990-2014. Giggs expertly adapted his game over the years, but in his prime, he was like lightning in a bottle.
A two-time Champions League winner with Manchester United, Giggs regularly produced the goods for United in Europe.
4. Neymar – 33 assists
Neymar has had some truly remarkable individual campaigns in the Champions League. He played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s 2014-15 treble and he was PSG’s best player in 2020 when they made the final.
The Brazilian plays with a samba flair that is a joy to watch each time he steps onto a football pitch. He’s the youngest player in this list and it’s a crying shame he’s currently out in Saudi Arabia with a long injury lay-off.
3. Angel Di Maria – 38 assists
Like Neymar, Di Maria only got his hands on the Champions League trophy once, but he deserves a special place in the history of this competition.
The Argentine winger was named as the UEFA Man of the Match in Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League final triumph against Atletico Madrid. His left foot should be considered a lethal weapon.
2. Lionel Messi – 40 assists
Perhaps the best creator of all time, Messi has to settle for second place in the all-time European assisters. His Champions League CV is almost unparalleled with 129 goals and 40 assists to his name.
His performance against Manchester United in the 2011 final is still regarded by many as the greatest Champions League final performance of all time. We still hope that he makes a shock return to Europe at some point.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 42 assists
Who else but CR7? While Ronaldo is best known for his goalscoring prowess, his creative numbers are also the best in the business.
The most goals. The most assists. Won it five times. He leaves behind an outrageous legacy.