“At 2–1 in a fiery Barcelona derby Copa del Rey tie, Messi threads a perfectly timed through ball that pulls Espanyol’s back line apart and gives Piqué a free route to goal, stretching the lead and capping assist number 192 of his career.”
In a fiery Barcelona Derby Copa del Rey knockout, Messi delivers a devastating 2-goal, 2-assist performance, including a trademark free-kick, to take full control of the Round of 16 tie against Espanyol.
At 2–0 up in a World Cup semi-final against Croatia, Messi’s twisting run on the right pulls Gvardiol apart and carves out the byline angle for Álvarez to tap in, sealing the final spot and logging career assist 349.
At 2–0 in a Champions League semi-final against Bayern, Messi threads a stoppage-time pass that releases Neymar to seal a 3–0 first-leg cushion, capping his masterclass with career assist number 183.
In an El Clásico Supercopa final deadlocked at 0–0, Messi threads the move that releases Iniesta behind Madrid’s line, breaking the tension and opening the scoring before later capping the night by reaching the 200-career-goal mark.
At 1–1 in a World Cup knockout thriller against France, Messi’s quick-thinking touch and stabbed pass through a crowded box create the deflected opening for Mercado to restore Argentina’s lead, marking career assist number 251.