The Champions League is the pinnacle of European football. Players from Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid all make it into the top 10 assisters in the competition.
Scoring goals is said to be the hardest thing to do in football, but the creative geniuses out there also deserve some praise. This list in particular is stacked with world-class talent.
We’ve collected a list of the top 10 players with the most assists in Champions League history.
Bayern Munich’s ‘Raumdeuter’ (space interpreter) was the epitome of consistency.
Muller has 29 assists to show for his stellar European career, which came to an end in the summer following his move to MLS outfit Vancouver Whitecaps.
Perhaps his most memorable Champions League performance was when he starred in Bayern’s 8-2 demolition of Barcelona. Muller himself chipped in with three goal contributions on that famous night
The Spanish playmaker won all four of the Champions League finals he starred in. Iniesta defined a generation of Spanish football and is certainly in the conversation when it comes to the greatest midfielders of all time.
The diminutive wizard was capable of dribbling around an entire team or killing you with a single pass. One of his last assists in the competition came in the 2014-15 final against Juventus to set up Ivan Rakitic for the opening goal.
The French forward aged like a fine wine and only got better in his thirties. Benzema was often regarded as the third wheel behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, but his impact in Real Madrid’s 2021-22 Champions League triumph cannot be underestimated.
He finally received the plaudits he deserved that year, going on to win the Ballon d’Or after his goalscoring heroics. But let’s not forget just how useful he was at playing provider for his world-class Los Blancos team-mates.
The Spanish maestro was the heartbeat of Barcelona for almost two decades.
It was no surprise when he went into coaching, putting his supreme football intelligence to good use in the dugout.
The Welsh wizard’s legendary career at Old Trafford spanned from 1990-2014. Giggs expertly adapted his game over the years, but in his prime, he was like lightning in a bottle.
A two-time Champions League winner with Manchester United, Giggs regularly produced the goods for United in Europe.
One of only five players to notch over a hundred assists in the Premier League, De Bruyne has also stepped up on the big occasions in Europe.
The Belgian finally got his hands on the trophy back in 2023. He’d played a starring role in Man City’s treble triumph, but he was forced to agonisingly watch on from the sidelines after suffering an injury against Inter in the final.
His two assists on his home Champions League debut for Napoli take him above the likes of Xavi and Iniesta in the all-time assists chart. The outright number one goal-making midfielder. Some feat, that.
And he has time on his side to one day top this list. He couldn’t, could he?
Neymar has had some truly remarkable individual campaigns in the Champions League.
He played a pivotal role in Barcelona’s 2014-15 treble, and he was PSG’s best player in 2020 when they made the final.
It’s pretty impressive that Neymar ranks so high in this list after missing so much action with injuries and leaving Europe with a difficult-to-shake feeling that he ought to have achieved more.
Looking back, does he get enough respect?
Perhaps the best creator of all time, Messi surprisingly has to settle for third place in the all-time European assisters. His Champions League CV is almost unparalleled with 129 goals and 40 assists to his name.
His performance against Manchester United in the 2011 final is still regarded by many as the greatest Champions League final performance of all time.
We still hope that he makes a shock return to Europe at some point. Go on Inter Miami, a cheeky half-season loan back to Barcelona wouldn’t go amiss.
QUIZ: Can you name the top scorer from every Champions League season?
Like Neymar, Di Maria only got his hands on the Champions League trophy once, but he deserves a special place in the history of this competition.
The Argentine winger was named as the UEFA Man of the Match in Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League final triumph against Atletico Madrid. His left foot should be considered a lethal weapon.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 42 assists
Who else but CR7? While Ronaldo is best known for his goalscoring prowess, his creative numbers are also the best in the business.
The most goals. The most assists. Won it five times. He leaves behind an outrageous legacy.
liealmsuy
25
But the narrative is that he doesn't assist 😞😞
gudiest01
21
and they said Messi is the best in the world how 😏🤷