LIONEL MESSI'S NEW RECORD

• Oct 16, 2025
• History Statistics

Messi, new record holder for NT assists

The greatest players of the modern era continue to break world records. 
Almost simultaneously, Cristiano Ronaldo became the all-time top scorer in World Cup qualifying, and Lionel Messi the all-time leading assist provider for national teams.
Yesterday, Messi delivered his 59th and 60th goal passes for Argentina in a friendly vs Puerto Rico (6-0) to become the first ever player in history to reach the mark of 60 assists.
According to research by an international group of football statisticians, Messi has thus broken the record of Landon Donovan and Neymar (58 each).
Also, he’s now only 2 assists shy of 400 total assists in his professional career, the milestone never yet conquered by anyone in history.

*It was a little surprising that Messi didn't score any of Argentina's 6 goals by himself despite playing the full match.
This was Messi's 51st career match (for clubs and national team) in which his team scored 6+ goals, and only the fourth in which he left the field goalless.
Three precedents:
8 November 2008, Barcelona vs Valladolid (6-1);
1 July 2015,  Argentina vs Paraguay (6-1);
9 April 2022, PSG vs Clermont (6-0).