“In a tense Barcelona derby still locked at 0–0, Messi threads the move that finally cracks Espanyol’s resistance, timing his combination with Pedro to open the scoring and extend his creative surge with assist number 68 of his career and 10 of the season.”
In a fiery Barcelona derby during his early peak, Messi extends his hot scoring run by switching to creator-in-chief, dictating play with 72 carries and threading two assists in a dominant 90-minute, man-of-the-match display.
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.