Assist (association football)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates In association football, an assist is a contribution leading to the scoring of a goal, where the contribution is made by someone on the scoring team other than the scorer. Statistics for assists made by players may be kept officially by the organisers of a competition, or unofficially by, for example, journalists or organisers of fantasy football competitions. Recording assists is not part of the official Laws of the Game and the criteria for an assist to be awarded may vary. Record of assists was virtually not kept at all until the end of the 20th century, although reports of matches commonly described a player as having "made" one or more goals. Since the 1990s, some leagues have kept official record of assists and based awards on them.

Template:AnchorThe separate player statistics "[[Scoring in association football#Attribution of goals|goals Template:Bracket]]" and "assists" may be aggregated to a statistic called "[goal] contributions" or "[goal] involvements" (analogous to what is called a point in ice hockey).

Criteria

Most commonly, an assist is credited to a player for passing or crossing the ball to the scorer. It may also be awarded to a player whose shot rebounds (off a defender, goalkeeper or goalpost) to a teammate who scores. Some systems may credit an assist to a player who wins a penalty kick or a free kick for another player to convert,<ref name="tsg86"/><ref name="tsg90"/> or to an attacking player for contributing to an own goal.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A goal may be unassisted, or have one assist; some systems allow for two assists.<ref name="tsg86"/><ref name="ncaas5a1p1"/>

Opta criteria

Opta, a British sports analytics company and the official provider of Premier League statistics,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="SIG1999">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> defines an assist as "The final touch from a teammate, which leads to the recipient of the ball scoring a goal". Opta requires that if the assist is deflected by an opposition player, it must be deemed as travelling to the goalscorer irrespective of the deflection. Also according to Opta, "in the event of an own goal, direct free kick goal and direct corner goal, an assist will not be awarded. This same rule applies to penalties unless the penalty taker chooses to pass the ball for another player to score."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

According to Opta, an assist is not awarded in the following cases:

• Goals scored directly from penalty kicks, direct free kicks, or corner-kicks
• Own goals
• Deflected or rebounded balls from opponents that affected the ball's delivery to the goal scorer.
• Balls rebounded off the post.

Opta attest that this strict definition makes assist statistics more accurate and fair in analyzing players' sports performance.

FIFA World Cup

FIFA's Technical Study Group is responsible for awarding assist points at the FIFA World Cup.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the Technical Study Group's report on the 1986 World Cup, the authors calculated for the first time unofficial statistics for assists, developing the following criteria:<ref name="tsg86"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

1. An assist was awarded to the player who had given the last pass to the goalscorer.
2. In addition, the last but two holder of the ball could get an assist provided that his action had decisive importance for the goal.
3. After goals from rebounds those players were awarded an assist who had shot on target.
4. After goals scored on penalty or by a directly converted free-kick the fouled player received a point.
5. In case that the goalscorer had laid on the goal for himself (dribble, solo run), no assists were awarded.
6. No assists were awarded, either, if the goalscorer took advantage of a missed pass by an opponent.

The 1990 World Cup technical report adopted similar criteria, but changed the free-kick/penalty criterion:<ref name="tsg90"> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

• Where goals resulting from penalties are concerned, the player who is fouled in the area receives an assist point (unless, that is, the player who is fouled subsequently executes the penalty himself).Template:Cn

Planet World Cup has calculated some retrospective data on assists back to the 1966 World Cup,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> though the 1986 data differs from that of FIFA.<ref name="tsg86"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

FIFA started officially keeping track of assists in World Cup tournaments at the 1994 edition.<ref name="afp1994"> Template:Cite news </ref> This was popularly ascribed to the popularity of detailed sports statistics among fans.<ref name="afp1994"/> 1994 was also the first World Cup in which assists were used as a tie-breaker in determining the Golden Shoe award for top scorer.<ref name="afp1994"/><ref name="busw1994"> Template:Cite news </ref> In the event, both Hristo Stoichkov and Oleg Salenko tied with 19 points, from 6 goals and 1 assist.<ref name="busw1994"/>

France

The French league, Ligue 1, awards the Trophée de Meilleur Passeur ("best passer trophy") to the player with most "decisive passes" in a season, starting in the 2007–08 season.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Sports newspaper L'Équipe had unofficially tracked assists for some years prior to then.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The league's Commission des Compétitions includes blocked shots as a subset of "decisive passes".<ref name="lfp2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="lfp2013"/> In 2012–13, Mathieu Valbuena and Dimitri Payet finished with 12 assists, Valbuena winning the trophy by having fewer blocked shots (3 against 5) among his total.<ref name="lfp2013">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Spain

For the 1998–99 La Liga season, SDI sold its Gecasport database to Spanish media, in which {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} were described as "passes which lead immediately to a shot and goal".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}; Template:Cite journal; Template:Cite journal</ref>

Ukraine

In Ukraine, a traceable documentation of assists calculation started out by Ukrainian newspaper "Komanda" during the 2004–05 season of the Ukrainian Higher League (Vyshcha Liha).<ref name=Ukraine>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The calculation of assist has certain problems to establish what is the "last pass" which led to a scored goal.<ref name=Ukraine/> Different institutions have own perception of it. Some specialists consider that an assist has to be a deliberate action meaning that it does not include the situation when a ball randomly rebounded to a scoring striker.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, official game statistics, including assists, for the Premier League, the Scottish Premiership, and the English Football League are provided by PA Sport under the Actim brand.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since the 2006–07 season, assists have been factored into the Actim Index of Premier League player performance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The assist statistics provided by fantasy football competitions may differ from the Actim data; some uniformly credit an assist to whichever teammate last touched the ball before the scorer, regardless of other circumstances of the play.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Premier League Playmaker of the Season award was introduced in the 2017–18 Premier League for the player with most assists.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

United States

The original North American Soccer League kept assist statistics from its foundation in 1968, as its forebears the United Soccer Association and National Professional Soccer League had done the previous year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Analogous statistics were already being kept in basketball and in ice hockey, both established North American sports.

Major League Soccer formerly awarded the MLS Golden Boot based on 2 points per goal scored and one per assist.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref>

The NCAA makes regulations for statistics, including assists, in college soccer in the U.S.<ref name="ncaa">Template:Cite book</ref> Two players may be credited with assists if the second did not have to beat a defender before passing to the scorer.<ref name="ncaas5a1p1">NCAA Official Soccer Statistics Rules, §5.Art 1.(1)</ref> No assist is awarded for winning a penalty.<ref>NCAA Official Soccer Statistics Rules, §5.Art 1.(3)</ref> If a goal is scored after a save, block, or rebound from the goal frame, the first shooter gets an assist.<ref>NCAA Official Soccer Statistics Rules, §5.Art 1.(8),(9)</ref>

Statistics

These totals are the official records recognised by the relevant governing body. Independent statistics providers may have different data, either through crediting different players for a given goal, or through having begun recording assists earlier or later than the official statistics provider. Expected assists (xA) is a performance metric that measures the likelihood that a completed pass becomes an assist, factoring in distance and the type of pass.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Players with most assists(opta) in all competitions (all-time)

Players	Teams(s)	Assists	Refs
Lionel Messi	Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, Argentina	401	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="mvsrapp2023">Template:Cite tweet</ref>
Ferenc Puskás	Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid, Hungary, Spain, Madrid	359	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="standing">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="mara">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="mvsrapp2023" />
Johan Cruyff	Ajax, Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante, Feyenoord, Netherlands	358	<ref name="mvsrapp2023" />
Pelé	Santos, New York Cosmos, Brazil	351	<ref name="mvsrapp2023" />
Luis Suárez	Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Nacional, Grêmio, Inter Miami, Uruguay	319	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Thomas Müller	Bayern Munich, Vancouver Whitecaps, Germany	314	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=":1"/>
Kevin De Bruyne	KRC Genk, Chelsea F.C., SV Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg, Manchester City F.C., SSC Napoli, Belgium	304	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ángel Di María	Rosario Central, Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Argentina	300	<ref name="planet"/>
Neymar	Santos, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Al-Hilal, Brazil	286	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Luís Figo	Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Portugal	283	<ref name=":0"/><ref name="mara"/>

Players with most assists in international football (all-time)

Players	Team(s)	Assists	Refs
Lionel Messi	Argentina	61	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Neymar	Brazil	59	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Landon Donovan	United States	58	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ferenc Puskás	Hungary	53	<ref name=":1" />
Kevin De Bruyne	Belgium	53	<ref name=":1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Sándor Kocsis	Hungary	51	<ref name=":1" />
Pelé	Brazil	47	<ref name=":1" />
Thomas Müller	Germany	41	<ref name=":1" />
Luis Suárez	Uruguay	39	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	37	<ref name=":1" />

Players with most assists in a given competition (all-time)

Competition	Records began	Leading player(s)	Team(s)	Assists	Refs
FIFA World Cup	1954	Pelé	Brazil	10	<ref name="assists">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="nbc">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UEFA European Championship	1960	Karel Poborský	Czech	8	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal
Copa América	1916	Lionel Messi	Argentina	18	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
FIFA Club World Cup	2000	Neri Cardozo	Boca Juniors, Monterrey	5	Template:Citation needed
FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)	1994	Neymar	Brazil	19	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UEFA Champions League	1992	Ryan Giggs	Manchester United	41	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League	2001	Bořek Dočkal	Slovan Liberec, Rosenborg, Slavia Prague	26	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UEFA Super Cup	1973	Gareth Bale	Real Madrid	3	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Vitolo	Sevilla, Atlético Madrid
Premier League	1992	Ryan Giggs	Manchester United	162	citation	CitationClass=web }}; {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
La Liga	1929	Lionel Messi	Barcelona	192	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Serie A	1986	Francesco Totti	Roma	140	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Bundesliga	1992	Thomas Müller	Bayern Munich	178	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Major League Soccer	1996	Landon Donovan	LA Galaxy	136	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Ligue 1	2001	Dimitri Payet	Nantes, Saint-Étienne, Lille, Marseille	115	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Players with most assists in a given competition (single season)

citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Player(s)	Team(s)	Assists	Season(s)	Refs
FIFA World Cup	Raymond Kopa	France	9	1958	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
UEFA European Championship	Ljubinko Drulović	Yugoslavia	4	2000	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Karel Poborský	Czech		2004
	Eden Hazard	Belgium		2016
	Aaron Ramsey	Wales		2016
	Lamine Yamal	Spain		2024
Copa América	James Rodríguez	Colombia	6	2024	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
UEFA Champions League	James Milner	Liverpool	9	2017–18	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Major League Soccer	Carlos Valderrama	Tampa Bay Mutiny	26	2000	<ref>MLS Site Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
La Liga	Míchel	Real Madrid	21	1987–88	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Lionel Messi	Barcelona		2019–20	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Bundesliga	Thomas Müller	Bayern Munich	21	2019–20	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Premier League	Thierry Henry	Arsenal	20	2002–03	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
	Kevin De Bruyne	Manchester City		2019–20
Ligue 1	Ángel Di María	Paris Saint-Germain	18	2015–16	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Serie A	Papu Gómez	Atalanta	16	2019–20	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

References

Template:Reflist 72. https://www.messivsronaldo.app/