Who has the most assists in Champions League history? The round-of-16 of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (UCL) has now been completed, with the quarter-finals producing some potentially mouth-watering ties.
There have been plenty of world-class stars to grace the pitch on those famous European nights, as we count down the top 10 players with the most assists in UCL history, as well as the top five players currently leading the charts in this season's competition.
Feel free to check out who has the most yellow cards in Champions League history as well…
Most assists in Champions League history – the top 10
10. Kevin De Bruyne – 29
A star who played in the 2024/25 campaign kicks off our list in Manchester City and Belgium international midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. He was part of the Citizens' treble-winning side of the 2022/23 term and is still regarded as one of, if not the best, midfielder in the world today.
9. Andres Iniesta – 29
Another midfielder makes the list and it is one of the most decorated in history in Andres Iniesta. The Spaniard won no fewer than four UCL titles with FC Barcelona, and will go down as one of the all-time greats of the competition.
8. Karim Benzema – 29
Recording the same number of assists as his predecessors on this list, Karim Benzema is also a true UCL great, with five to his name with Real Madrid, including three in a row between 2015 and 2018. The French striker now plays in the Saudi Pro League with Al Ittihad, and will no doubt be missed on UCL nights.
7. Xavi Hernandez – 30
Iniesta's former partner in crime for club and country comes sixth on the list with just one more assist in the UCL for him – the great Xavi Hernandez. The ex-midfielder has four UCL titles to his name, and one day, he could lead another team to glory as a manager.
6. Thomas Muller – 30
Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Muller has won the competition twice with his current club in the 2012/13 and 2019/20 seasons, and given that Bayern did not win any major silverware in the last campaign, Muller and co will be looking to put that right in this one, as they target a third UCL title with Muller. They had get through to the round of 16 via the playoffs, though, although Muller did earn his 30th assist in the competition, which moved him up the charts.
5. Ryan Giggs – 31
Entering the top five is former Manchester United and Wales winger Ryan Giggs, who won the UCL twice as a player. One was in the Red Devils' famous treble-winning season of 1998/99, and the other was in an all-English UCL final against Chelsea in the 2007/08 campaign.
4. Neymar – 33
Neymar is fourth on the list with 33 assists to his name in the UCL. He only won one title during his time at Barcelona. Unfortunately, the Brazilian could not bring the coveted trophy to Paris Saint-Germain before moving to the Saudi Pro League to play for Al Hilal, and now he is playing for his former club Santos.
3. Lionel Messi – 40
It is not a surprise to see who props up in third place on this list, as Lionel Messi has recorded the third-most assists in UCL history with 40. The little Argentine magician won four UCL titles during his time at Barcelona, but unfortunately, he could not win one while playing for Paris Saint-Germain.
2. Angel Di Maria – 41
Argentine winger Angel Di Maria is still playing for Benfica, and moved up to second in the charts in this season's UCL competition with a couple more assists to his name. He also played for many other European heavyweights, including Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid but only won one UCL title, with the latter in the 2014/15 campaign.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 42
No prizes for guessing who has recorded the most assists in UCL history – it is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has broken so many other records in the competition, and this is just one of them.
Indeed, Ronaldo has won the UCL five times and is the only player on this list to do so with two different clubs. He has won the UCL four times with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United.
Who has the most assists in the 2024/25 Champions League?
| Player (Team) | Assists | Minutes per assist |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich) | 6 | 180 |
| Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) | 5 | 140 |
| Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta) | 5 | 140 |
| Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen) | 5 | 159 |
| Raphinha (Barcelona) | 5 | 167 |
1. Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich grabs top spot in the latest update as he now stands alone on six assists for the competition so far. Indeed, the Germany international picked up his sixth assist in Bayern Munich's 2-0 win away at Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen in the second leg of their round-of-16 clash, ensuring that Vincent Kompany's side went through to the quarter-finals with a 5-0 overall aggregate victory.
Kimmich's previous assists in the competition came against Celtic in a 2-1 win in the first leg of their knockout play-off clash at Celtic Park, and in a 3-1 victory at home to Slovan Bratislava in their final match of the league phase. Kimmich also recorded three assists in one game in the opening round in the competition, as Bayern thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 at the Allianz Arena.
2. Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta)
The first of two players from Atalanta on the list is Italian attacking wing-back Davide Zappacosta, who comes second in the charts by virtue of his superior minutes-per-assist ratio. He grabbed what was his fifth and final assist of the 2024/25 UCL campaign in the second leg of Atalanta's play-off tie against Belgian side Club Brugge – a match they lost 3-1 at home which ultimately knocked them out of the competition after a 2-1 defeat in the reverse fixture in Belgium.
3. Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)
Charles De Ketelaere is only behind his teammate Zappacosta by virtue of his slightly inferior minutes-per-assist ratio, having only played a total of three more minutes across the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign! Indeed, after recording his fifth in Atalanta's 5-0 drubbing of Sturm Graz at home in Gameweek 7, the Belgian also made no fewer than three assists for Atalanta in their 6-1 drubbing of Young Boys away from home in Gameweek 5, and his other assist came in the 2-0 victory at Stuttgart.
4. Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
Jeremie Frimpong is one of five players with five assists, but like the two Atalanta players, has been knocked out of this season's competition with Bayer Leverkusen. Indeed, two of his assists came in Leverkusen's opening 4-0 victory away at Feyenoord, while he also recorded a match-winning assist in Leverkusen's 1-0 victory at home to AC Milan, and another in their 5-0 thrashing of RB Salzburg. His fifth came in Leverkusen's 2-0 win at home to Sparta Prague in their final game of the league phase.
5. Raphinha (Barcelona)
Raphinha has been a sensation for Barcelona throughout the 2024/25 campaign so far, including in the UCL. Indeed, the Brazilian winger grabbed no fewer than two assists in Barca's 2-2 draw against Serie A high-flyers Atalanta in their final match of the league phase.
His tally increased to five after further assists in 5-0 and 5-2 thrashings against Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade at home and away from home, respectively. He is ahead of Paris Saint-Germain full-back Achraf Hakimi by virtue of his superior minutes-per-assist ratio, and both players remain in the competition, so could climb higher up in the charts.
