Scoring goals in football is important but downplaying the art of providing assists is not acceptable. Assists are a measure of a player’s vision, creativity and unselfishness on the field. This article looks at the top 10 assist providers ever in soccer who have shaped the game through their contributions.
1. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the most prolific goal scorers but equally fantastic as a playmaker. Over his many years as a forward he has made over 300 assists with no counterpart in this discipline. His tenure at Barcelona and now Paris Saint-Germain has seen him break many records, rendering him one of the greatest players that ever lived.
2. Ryan Giggs
Ryan Giggs is well known for being a Manchester United great because he played for so long and so consistently throughout his career there. In his 24-year journey with The Red Devils, Giggs achieved highest number of 271 assists ever recorded in English Premier League history. With an eagle eye vision and precise passes, had been integral part in United’s complete control during their golden era from early 1990s to mid-2000s.
3. Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas has been a creative force for clubs such as Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Monaco across midfield lines throughout his career till date. Fàbregas’s quick thinking and faultless passing abilities have resulted in more than 200 assists that put him among football’s best assist makers.
4. Mesut Özil
Mesut Özil has become one of the finest playmakers of his generation due to his vision and technical ability alone. He provided over 200 assists playing for Real Madrid, Arsenal and Fenerbahçe thanks to his propensity for delivering accurate passes.
5. Xavi Hernández
In fact Xavi Hernandez epitomized tiki taka, the heart of Barcelona’s style of play in the midfield. With more than 200 assists he could control the rhythm of play from his deep lying position and pass with pinpoint accuracy. Xavi was a clever player for the Catalan team.
6. David Beckham
David Beckham excelled at crossing balls and taking set pieces like no other player in history. From his time at Manchester United to LA Galaxy via Real Madrid among others, Beckham has provided over 160 assists during his career. Opposing defenders were always reminded about his aim and technique.
7. Luis Figo
Luis Figo is well-known for his amazing dribbling skills and excellent crosses as a Portuguese right winger. In total, Figo compiled over 150 assists during spells with clubs like Barcelona, Real Madrid or Inter Milan. On either side of attack, he was rated as one of the most successful assist leaders of that period.
8. Franck Ribéry
Defenders had sleepless nights because of the speed as well as skill exhibited by Franck Ribéry on flanks. The Bayern Munich star managed to make north of 150 assists during his professional playing era mainly with Bayern Munich FC. It’s no secret that Ribery formed an effective duo with Arjen Robben often resulting in goals upon goals for Bayern.
9. Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta boasts over 150 assists in his career as mostly known for ball running excellence and accurate passing capabilities which bring him similar results to such contemporary players like Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski who are prone to score many times per single match alone.
Iniesta’s ability to see through opposing defences and pick them apart made him indispensable for Barcelona and Spain.
10. Ángel Di María
Each team should be pleased to have a versatile play maker like Angel Dimaria . Such clubs’ attacking mechanisms would never be complete without this player who has more than 140 assists in his career with such famous clubs as Real Madrid, Manchester United FC or Paris Saint-Germain.
They were not merely brilliant as individuals, but their unselfishness has also assisted in making their colleagues better. They have been great assists providers for their teams thus leading to success and earn them a place among the football legends.
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In soccer, assists are treated with similar respect as goals. These players listed above have proven that being able to create chances for others is an art that requires a rare blend of vision, timing and execution. Although new stars will continue coming up with changing trends of the game, these legendary assisters will never be forgotten.
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