Who has recorded the most assists in World Cup history?

Who has recorded the most assists in World Cup history? Learn the top World Cup playmakers, alongside the players with the most assists in a single campaign!

The World Cup always brings together the best players from around the globe, creating a mix of talent that just can’t be replicated by another competition. Contained within this elite mix of players are the greatest playmakers, meaning we get to witness the highest level of footballing creativity.

But which players have recorded the most assists in World Cup history?

Read on to learn more about who has recorded the most assists in World Cup history and which players have assisted the most goals in a single tournament too!

FIFA World Cup all-time assists leaders

There have been some tremendous playmakers to have played in the World Cup, with many recording impressive tallies of assists across their time at the tournament. Below is a table summarising the players with the most assists in the competition’s history:

Pele, 10 assists

Though some sources state that Pele is the player with the most assists in World Cup history, others would contrast that. He’s noted as having ten assists in some places but either six or eight in others, meaning there is some uncertainty over his position in the rankings.

There’s no doubt, however, that Pele is one of the best players of all time, winning three World Cups and making many goal contributions for the Brazilian national team. The 1970 World Cup was his best, seeing him provide six assists and four goals in the campaign, leading Brazil to a third World Cup title.

Lionel Messi, 8 assists

Another player who can be regarded as one of the best of all time is Lionel Messi, who comes in second on the list. After making his first assist in the 2006 tournament against Serbia only minutes after being substituted on for his World Cup debut, he announced himself quickly.

Before the 2022 tournament, he racked up five assists in total, with his World Cup-winning campaign adding three more. Grabbing an unbelievable assist against the Netherlands following a threaded pass, Messi demonstrated elite playmaking qualities, but his best, however, came against Croatia in the semi-final. After running down the touchline, he toyed with and escaped Josko Gvardiol before making a pass to Julian Alvarez, creating one of the greatest assists in World Cup history.

As he’s likely to appear with Argentina again in 2026, he could place himself onto the top of this list if he managed to get a few more assists in the summer.

Diego Maradona, 8 assists

Maradona is another who needs no introduction, being yet another player who can be considered one of the greatest in history.

He may be more remembered for his goals, but his creative abilities were also on an elite level. The 1986 World Cup was where some of his best performances were, with him providing three assists against South Korea in a largely forgotten match at the tournament. The winning goal against West Germany in the final was also assisted by Maradona, as he played in Jorge Burruchaga in the 84th minute.

Pierre Littbarski, 7 assists

Littbarski was an instrumental part of the Germany sides that reached three World Cup finals in a row, even winning one in 1990.

The 1982 tournament saw him play an important role in Germany reaching the final, assisting both in the quarter-final against Spain and in the semi-final against France. Despite limited minutes in 1986, he appeared regularly in the starting XI for the 1990 tournament in Italy, where he was able to make two assists in the group stage against the United Arab Emirates.

Grzegorz Lato, 7 assists

The Poland national team was made much stronger when Lato featured, as he was a crucial element of the side in the 1970s and early 1980s. Finishing third in 1974, fifth in 1978, and third again in 1982, Poland were one of the strongest international teams in this period.

Despite being known for his goalscoring abilities, Lato was also incredibly creative, like when he provided two assists against Belgium in a 3-0 victory for Poland in 1982.

David Beckham, 6 assists

Featuring in three World Cup tournaments between 1998 and 2006, David Beckham is the only Englishman on the list. Though not all impressive assists, with some being simple layoffs, he did make some remarkable passes to his teammates.

His defence-splitting pass to Michael Owen against Argentina is probably his most iconic, but his set-piece and crossing abilities were on display with his assists against Sweden and Denmark in 2002.

Francesco Totti, 6 assists

Despite only playing in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, Totti achieved an impressive number of assists during his time at the tournament and made a great impact for Italy.

During his first time at the World Cup, he assisted twice, but his second campaign is where he really shone. Being a vital cog in the Italian team that went on to lift the trophy, Totti provided crucial assists in wins over Australia and Ghana, and two more against Ukraine.

Thomas Hassler, 6 assists

Playing in three World Cups during the 1990s, Hassler was a vital creative player in the German national team. His most memorable performances came at the 1994 tournament in the USA, where he managed to get five of his six assists.

His best qualities were no doubt shown against South Korea, where he provided two assists to help Germany to an important 3-2 win.

Thomas Muller, 6 assists

Utilising his unique ability to find space, Muller truly maximised his goalscoring and creative abilities at both a club and international level. This has allowed him to place himself in the top ten World Cup goalscorers too, demonstrating just how much he’s contributed to Germany over his four tournaments.

Some key moments for him include his cutback assist to Podolski and his pass to Ozil against Ghana in 2010.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, 6 assists

A real engine of the German midfield, Schweinsteiger was an incredibly intelligent and tenacious footballer. He made some incredible assists at the World Cup, like against England where he glided past Glen Johnson and set up Thomas Muller in a brilliant fashion.

His ability with set-pieces was also evident, with a brilliant delivery into the box teeing up Thomas Muller for a simple header against Argentina in 2010.

Who has assisted the most goals in a single World Cup tournament?

The record of the most assists in a single World Cup tournament is held by Pele, when he reached a tally of six assists in the 1970 campaign.

Though nobody has yet matched this total to date, many players have come close to it, with multiple getting five assists in one tournament. This includes Robert Gadocha for Poland (1974), Pierre Littbarski for Germany (1982), Diego Maradona for Argentina (1986) and Thomas Hassler for Germany (1994).

How to bet on the 2026 World Cup Golden Ball

Every time the World Cup comes around, betting on the tournament is always something to consider. As all the top national teams from across the world battle it out for the most coveted prize in international football, it’s a must-watch. With some of the best playmakers in history winning the Golden Ball, predicting who might win it next always adds an extra layer of excitement!

With Betway, you’re able to choose from a wide range of markets like the Golden Ball, top goalscorer, tournament winner, top assister, in-play betting, and under/over goals on any match. As the tournament gets closer, more markets will become available too, meaning there’s so much for bettors to look forward to!

Head over to our football odds or use our mobile app through the App Store or Play Store to start your World Cup betting now!