“With Inter Miami clinging to a 2–1 lead after a recent defeat, Messi threads a perfectly timed pass that tears New England open and lets Allende push the game out of reach, logging assist number 395 of his career and a third setup on the night.”
Amid a three-game scoring drought and with Inter Miami coming off a loss, Messi stays on the pitch for 90 minutes at 38 years old to dictate everything, racking up three assists and a 9.7 MOTM display that reignites the attack without needing to score himself.
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.
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 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.