“At 2–1 in stoppage time, Messi threads one more defence-splitting pass to release Marquinhos and seal PSG’s win over Saint-Étienne, completing a rare Ligue 1 assist hat-trick and pushing his career tally to 318.”
Messi racks up his fifth career assist hat-trick, dictating PSG’s Ligue 1 trip to Saint-Étienne with three defence-splitting passes that turn a routine league outing into a pure playmaking showcase at age 34.
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.
At 3–4 down in stoppage time of a World Cup knockout epic against France, Messi threads a low pass through a crowded box that lets Agüero score instantly, a defiant late spark that keeps Argentina alive and marks assist number 252 of his career.
At 0–2 down in a Copa del Rey quarter-final’s 88th minute, Messi threads the pass that finally breaks Granada’s resistance and sparks Barcelona’s late comeback, his vision turning desperation into belief for career assist number 303.
At 3–0 late in a dominant Champions League night against Manchester City, Messi threads a final incisive pass that releases Neymar into space, turning his hat-trick performance into a 4–0 rout and sealing career assist No. 219.