Top 10 most assists in Champions League history

The 2025/26 Champions League final saw defending champions edge out Arsenal after 120 minutes and a penalty shootout to put the trophy into their cabinet for the second time. The Parisiens will now set out to win the trophy for the third straight time in 2026/27, a feat only achieved three times in history.

One way to do that is to make an impact at the top of the pitch, both in terms of scoring goals and creating them. Who has the most assists in Champions League history? And could anyone break into the top 10 this season? Feel free to check out who has the most yellow cards in Champions League history as well…

Most assists in Champions League history – Top 10

10. Andres Iniesta – 29

Kicking off the list is one of the greatest midfielders to play the game, Andres Iniesta. The Spaniard won no fewer than four Champions League titles with Barcelona, and will go down as one of the all-time greats of the competition.

It should be noted that Karim Benzema also has 29 assists to his name. He is also a true Champions League great, with five to his name with Real Madrid, including three in a row between 2015 and 2018.

=9. Xavi Hernandez – 30

Iniesta's former partner in crime for club and country comes joint-ninth on the list with just one more assist in the Champions League for him – the great Xavi Hernandez. The ex-midfielder has four Champions League titles to his name, and one day, he could lead another team to glory as a manager.

=9. 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. They were knocked out in the quarter-finals by finalists Inter Milan in the 2024/25 campaign, though, although Muller did earn his 30th assist in the competition, which moved him up the charts.

=7. Ryan Giggs – 31

Entering the top 10 list is former Manchester United and Wales winger Ryan Giggs, who won the Champions League 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 Champions League final against Chelsea in the 2007/08 campaign.

=7. Kevin De Bruyne – 31

A star who added two assists to his tally this season is Napoli midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who currently sits in the middle of the list on 31 assists in total. All but two of those came during his time at Manchester City, where he played an integral part in their 2022/23 Champions League-winning campaign.

5. Vinicius Jr – 32

Vinicius Jr's eight assists in the 2025/26 campaign alone has bumped him up to 32 in total, and among the greatest players to play in the competition. With 82 appearances to his name in the Champions League, the Brazilian will have further opportunities to climb the ranks too next season, as Real Madrid have qualified for the Champions League yet again.

4. Neymar – 33

Neymar is fourth on the list with 33 assists to his name in the Champions League, despite making just 81 appearances in the competition. He only won one title during his time at Barcelona.

Unfortunately, the Brazilian could not bring the coveted trophy to PSG 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 Champions League history with 40. The little Argentine magician won four Champions League titles during his time at Barcelona, but unfortunately, he could not win one while playing for PSG and has since joined Inter Miami away from the European game.

2. Angel Di Maria – 41

Argentine winger Angel Di Maria moved up to second in the charts in last season's Champions League competition with a couple more assists to his name playing for Benfica. He also played for many other European heavyweights, including PSG and Real Madrid, but only won one Champions League title, with the latter in the 2014/15 campaign.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 42

No prizes for guessing who has recorded the most assists in Champions League history – it is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar has broken so many other records in the competition, and this is just one of them, having also recorded a record 140 goals in the competition.

Indeed, Ronaldo has won the Champions League five times and is the only player on this list to do so with two different clubs. He has won the Champions League four times with Real Madrid and once with Manchester United.

Who else could break into the top 10?

Unfortunately, it does not look like any other player will follow in Vinicius Jr's footsteps and break into the top 10 this season. Ousmane Dembele is the closest player from either PSG or Arsenal with 20 assists to his name in the Champions League.

In terms of next season, the players to look out for will be Kylian Mbappe and Joshua Kimmich, who both boast 25 assists each and should continue to play in the competition with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich respectively. With both teams hugely successful in the Champions League historically and with ambitions of going all the way, we could see either or both of these players reach the 30-assist mark.

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