“At 0–0 in a CONCACAF Champions Cup knockout tie, Messi’s early through ball slices Nashville open and springs Suárez to break the deadlock, a vintage bit of vision that becomes career assist No. 363 and his second of the season.”
In a high-stakes CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 tie, Messi scores and adds a slick assist inside 49 minutes to take Man of the Match and put Inter Miami in control of the knockout clash against Nashville.
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.