# Top 10 Players With Most Assists in World Cup History — Messi Breaks the All-Time Record at World Cup 2026

URL: https://technosports.co.in/top-10-players-assists-world-cup-history-messi/  
Published: 2026-07-18  
Updated: 2026-07-18  
Author: Ankush Mallick

The [2026 FIFA World Cup](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026) has rewritten the record books in many ways, but one achievement stands above them all from a statistical standpoint. Lionel Messi has become the World Cup’s all-time leader in assists with 12, achieving this milestone while also holding records for most goals and appearances in World Cup history. Here is the full, verified top 10 ranking of players with the most assists in World Cup history, based entirely on Opta data.

## All-Time World Cup Assists — Top 10 (Since 1966, per Opta)

| Rank | Player | Country | Total Assists | Tournaments |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 12 | 6 (2006–2026) |
| 2 | Diego Maradona | Argentina | 8 | 4 |
| 3 | Pierre Littbarski | West Germany | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | Bastian Schweinsteiger | Germany | 7 | 4 |
| 6 | Pele | Brazil | 8 | 4 (assists from 1958) |
| 7 | Antoine Griezmann | France | 5+ | 3 |
| 7 | David Beckham | England | 6 | 3 |
| 7 | Ivan Perisic | Croatia | 6 | Multiple |
| 10 | Robert Gadocha | Poland | 5 | 2 |

## 1. Lionel Messi — Argentina — 12 Assists

Messi has not built his World Cup assist total by repeatedly feeding one familiar strike partner. He has created goals for 11 different teammates across six tournaments and three distinct generations of Argentina teams. The names around him have changed, the plays have evolved and nearly two decades have passed, but Messi has remained the constant source of invention.

Messi broke the all-time record with his assist in Argentina’s come-from-behind win against Egypt in the round of 16 at Atlanta Stadium. Messi found Cristian Romero in the box, and the centre-back struck it with his head to pull one back for Argentina. Messi further contributed in the 83rd minute with a goal on a stunning volley from inside the box.

![Messi](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Lionel-Messi-1-1024x683.jpg)
*Lionel Messi*

Messi has 10 FIFA World Cup knockout stage assists — six more than any other player on record in the last 60 years. Pelé and Antoine Griezmann are the next highest with four.

Messi has 33 goal contributions in 33 career World Cup games — 21 goals and 12 assists. The next highest in World Cup history is Kylian Mbappé with 25 goal contributions.

Messi also became the first player to record an assist in six different World Cup tournaments.

## 2. Diego Maradona — Argentina — 8 Assists

According to Opta statistics, Argentine legend Diego Maradona ranks second with eight World Cup assists.

Maradona’s assist-to-goal ratio is a satisfying 50-50 split, with the Argentina great getting eight of each. He did not register an assist in his first tournament in 1982 but then set up five as Argentina won in 1986, three of which came in their opening group game.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Diego-Maradona-World-Cup-assists-1024x1024.jpg)

His five assists at the 1986 World Cup is the joint-second most by a player at a single edition of the competition. The legendary Argentina number 10 would go on to add two more assists at the 1990 tournament and one more in 1994 to end his career on eight World Cup assists.

## 3. Pierre Littbarski — West Germany — 7 Assists

Midfielder Pierre Littbarski played a fundamental role in West Germany’s run to the final of the 1982 World Cup, picking up five assists en route to the final.

Twenty-two years old at the time, Littbarski tallied four assists across the two group stages and added a fifth against France in their semi-final, a 3-3 draw that they ultimately progressed from thanks to success in the first penalty shootout in World Cup history.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Pierre-Littbarski-683x1024.jpg)
*Pierre Littbarski*

His haul included setting up the only goal of a game later dubbed the Disgrace of Gijón, when West Germany went 1-0 up against Austria before both teams sat back for the rest of the game because the scoreline would send them both through to the knockout stages at the expense of Algeria.

## 3. Grzegorz Lato — Poland — 7 Assists

In 1974, Lato registered two assists in the initial group stage but did not get any more after that. Then in 1978, he provided two before the 1982 World Cup where he got three, this time during a tournament with the format we are used to now.

Germany’s Pierre Littbarski and Poland’s Grzegorz Lato share third place with seven assists.

## 3. Bastian Schweinsteiger — Germany — 7 Assists

Considering Schweinsteiger only managed one assist every 5.03 Bundesliga matches for Bayern, it is very impressive that he got seven for Germany in 20 World Cup matches. Even more surprising is that none of them came in Germany’s 2014 winning campaign.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Bastian-Schweinsteiger-1024x768.jpg)
*Bastian Schweinsteiger*

His first two came in his debut when he was deployed as a left winger against Costa Rica. By the end of the group stages, he had notched three assists. He picked up one more before the tournament end, in the third-place play-off, and after withdrawing to a defensive midfielder role in 2010, he registered three in the knockout stages, including one against England in the round of 16.

## 6. David Beckham — England — 6 Assists

The crossing maestro is second only to Harry Kane for creating England goals at major tournaments and six of Beckham’s assists came at World Cups. The first of those was in the 1998 tournament where the then 23-year-old set up Michael Owen to put England 2-1 up against Argentina.

![](https://technosports.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/David-Beckham-1024x683.jpg)
*David **Beckham***

In the 2002 World Cup, Beckham registered two assists, both of which came in the same game against Denmark. In 2006, he set up the only goal in a 1-0 group stage win over Paraguay before producing the two goals needed to defeat Trinidad.

## 6. Ivan Perisic — Croatia — 6 Assists

Ivan Perisic moved into the six-assist tier during the 2026 group stage, and remains the only player on this list still active at the tournament.

## 8. Pele — Brazil — Multiple Assists

The three-time World Cup winner only registered two assists in his first three tournaments but produced a remarkable six in his final tournament, Brazil’s 1970 winning campaign. Before then, he set up a World Cup goal for the first time in the 1958 semi-final against France. A hamstring injury ruled him out of much of the 1962 tournament but he did get an opening match assist. It was another zero-assist tournament in 1966 but then came 1970, in which he assisted in all but one of the games he played. He saved his best for last with two assists and a goal in Brazil’s 4-1 hammering of Italy in the final.

## Most Assists in a Single World Cup Tournament (Since 1966)

The top single-tournament assist tallies since 1966 are: 6 — Pelé (Brazil), 1970; 5 — Robert Gadocha (Poland), 1974; 5 — Pierre Littbarski (West Germany), 1982; 5 — Diego Maradona (Argentina), 1986; 5 — Thomas Häßler (Germany), 1994; 5 — Michael Olise (France), 2026.

| Assists | Player | Country | Year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 6 | Pele | Brazil | 1970 |
| 5 | Robert Gadocha | Poland | 1974 |
| 5 | Pierre Littbarski | West Germany | 1982 |
| 5 | Diego Maradona | Argentina | 1986 |
| 5 | Thomas Hassler | Germany | 1994 |
| 5 | Michael Olise | France | 2026 |

Only three players scored more than Pele’s four goals at 1970, but no one matched his six assists. It is the most assists by a player at a single men’s World Cup on record since 1966.

## Leading Assist Providers — World Cup Per Tournament (FIFA Official)

The top assist provider at each World Cup since 1966 is: 1966 — Siggi Held and Uwe Seeler (4); 1970 — Pele (6); 1974 — Robert Gadocha (5); 1978 — Rob Rensenbrink and Rene van de Kerkhof (3); 1982 — Pierre Littbarski (5); 1986 — Diego Maradona (5); 1990 — Andreas Brehme, Jozef Chovanec and Lubomir Moravcik (3); 1994 — Thomas Hassler (5); 2002 — Michael Ballack (4); 2006 — Francesco Totti (4); 2014 — Juan Cuadrado (4); 2018 — No player registered more than two assists; 2022 — Bruno Fernandes, Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Ivan Perisic (3).

## 2026 World Cup — Assists Leader at the Tournament

At the 2026 World Cup, Messi is tied for most goals with eight alongside Kylian Mbappé and is tied second in assists with four — one behind leader Michael Olise with five.

Michael Olise came into the 2026 World Cup in fine form, having produced 22 goals and 26 assists in all competitions for Bayern Munich in the 2025-26 campaign. Getting to play with the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappé at international level certainly helps, too. Olise provided an assist for Mbappé in France’s opening win over Senegal, and then two more in the victory over Iraq.

Read More: [Every Time Argentina Look Finished, They Find Another Way](https://technosports.co.in/world-cup-2026-argentina-they-find-another-way/)

## FAQs

### Who has the most assists in World Cup history?

Lionel Messi has become the World Cup’s all-time leader in assists with 12, surpassing all previous records.

### From which year are World Cup assists officially tracked?

Assists have been recorded from the 1966 World Cup onwards.

### Who held the World Cup assists record before Messi?

Diego Maradona previously held the record with eight assists. Messi broke it with his assist in Argentina’s comeback win against Egypt in the round of 16.

### Who has the most assists in a single World Cup tournament?

Pelé holds the record with six assists at the 1970 World Cup. It is the most assists by a player at a single men’s World Cup on record since 1966.

### Who leads the assists chart at the 2026 World Cup?

France’s Michael Olise leads the 2026 World Cup assists chart with five.