“Trailing 3–1 at San Siro, Messi threads the pass that slices Milan open and sparks Barcelona’s comeback push, a Champions League group-stage assist that quietly becomes career assist No. 103 and his 16th of the season.”
In the midst of a hot Champions League scoring streak, Messi coolly buries a pressure penalty and threads a trademark assist to dominate Milan away from home and secure top spot in the group.
At 0–0 in a tight Champions League group tie against Viktoria Plzeň, Messi threads the move that finally pries them open for Iniesta, the breakthrough also registering as his 100th career assist.
In a tense Copa América quarter-final locked at 0–0, Messi threads a perfectly timed pass that slices Ecuador open and springs De Paul through to break the deadlock, a pressure-breaking contribution that also registers career assist number 313.
At 0–0 away to Juventus in the Champions League group stage, Messi’s incisive pass into space unpicks a tight back line to give Dembélé the opener, doubling as the 300th assist of his career.
With Barcelona still locked at 0–0 in Málaga, Messi threads the decisive pass that finally opens the home defence for Ibrahimović, breaking the deadlock and quietly bringing up his 50th career assist as a creator at just 22.