“At 0–0 in a Champions League group decider against Dortmund, Messi threads the move that finally cracks their compact back line, timing his combination with Suárez to open the scoring and push his Man of the Match performance toward career assist No. 280.”
On the night he collects his 300th Man of the Match award, Messi tears through Dortmund in a Champions League group tie with a goal and two assists, orchestrating Barcelona’s attack from start to finish.
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.
In a 5–0 El Clásico demolition already at 2–0, Messi’s perfectly timed through ball slices Real Madrid open for Villa to make it three, capping a masterclass in control and vision on the way to his 65th career assist.
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 a tense Copa América semi-final deadlocked at 0–0, Messi threads the early pass that slices Colombia open and springs Lautaro Martínez free, breaking the stalemate and pushing Argentina toward the final as he logs career assist number 315.