CORNERFLICK
Lionel Messi has moved to the top of the World Cup assists chart after collecting his 10th in Argentina’s quarter-final against Switzerland.
The assist took him past Pelé and Fritz Walter, who had shared the record on nine. Diego Maradona sits next on eight, with Grzegorz Lato and David Beckham tied on seven.
Messi’s 10 tournament assists have been converted by 10 different scorers. The sequence began at the 2006 World Cup, when he set up Hernán Crespo, and continued in 2026 with the pass for Mac Allister against Switzerland.
He has also produced a strong 2026 World Cup overall. Messi has scored eight goals and provided two assists, giving him double-digit direct goal involvements for Argentina for the second straight tournament.
World Cup all-time assist leaders
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): 10
- Pelé (Brazil): 9
- Fritz Walter (West Germany): 9
- Diego Maradona (Argentina): 8
- Grzegorz Lato (Poland): 7
- David Beckham (England): 7