Football players from Al-Hilal, Manchester City, and Inter Miami are among the top 10 in the world in terms of assists in 2024.

The goal of the game is to score, but if you don’t have a great playmaker to create opportunities for your striker, what good is having one?

We’ve looked more closely at the ten most inventive players in the world who have so far generated the most assists in all competitions in 2024.

1. Kevin De Bruyne – 15 assists

In terms of helpers, De Bruyne is a given. Since recovering from an injury, the Man City playmaker has been in incredible form, averaging an assist every 91 minutes.

Guardiola told reporters last month, “The numbers, the presence, the consistency—ten years at Man City—have been amazing.” “One of the best players in Man City history.”

To unseat him from the top rank anytime soon will require some work.

2. Oussama Idrissi – 13 assists

Idrissi moved to Mexico last summer after playing the majority of his career in the Eredivisie, and he hasn’t looked back.

The Dutch winger has contributed an outstanding 13 assists in 2024 alone, making him a fantastic addition to Pachuca. He’s been narrowly beaten to the top position.

3. Dries Mertens – 12 assists

Following his departure from Napoli in 2022, Mertens has persisted in manufacturing things for Galatasaray. He has already contributed an incredible 25 goals in 2023–2024 alone.

He has managed to dish out 12 assists since the start of the season, seven of which have come in his last seven games.

4. Angel Di Maria – 12 assists

Similar to his Argentine colleague, Di Maria is still performing well far into his third decade of life. He has been more inventive than anyone else in the Portuguese league this year alone, with 12 assists.

His Benfica contract is about to expire at the end of the current campaign, and he is currently being connected to a spectacular move to Inter Miami. That sounds like a lot of fun.

5. Lionel Messi – 11 assists

The fact that Messi has played a lot less football than everyone else on this list adds to the specialness of his selection.

Amazingly, for Inter Miami in 2024, he’s currently contributing a goal per 39 minutes on average. Despite his advanced age, defenders are unable to come close to him.

His most recent performance this season was possibly the most absurd. With five assists in one game against the New York Red Bulls, the 36-year-old has established himself as the master of the Major League Soccer.

6. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – 11 assists

With players like Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Milinkovic-Savic appearing to be a step above the others, Al-Hilal has dominated the Saudi Pro League this year.

At one point in the season, the team astonishingly won 34 straight games, and individuals like Milinkovic-Savic were crucial to that dominant run.

The towering Serbian midfielder has assumed the creative role while Neymar recovers from an ACL surgery, racking up an incredible 11 assists so far in 2024.

7. Alejandro Grimaldo – 11 assists

Grimaldo is having his most prolific season to date right now, and he doesn’t appear to be about to slow down anytime soon.

The wing-back for Bayer Leverkusen has grown to be an important member of Xabi Alonso’s team, and his assists were crucial in the team’s Bundesliga victory.

With an average of 2.5 chances created each game, it’s no surprise that he currently stands among the world’s most inventive players.

8. Vladimir Ambros – 10 assists

Ambros is the only pure striker on this list, with midfielders and wingers making up the remainder of the selections.

With an astounding 10 assists so far this calendar year, the 30-year-old attacker has been dominating the Moldovan Super Liga.

9. Madih Talal – 10 assists

In the Indian Super League this season, the French playmaker has appeared to be a step above. He is currently one of the league’s most productive players, averaging a goal or assist every 108 minutes.

10. Haris Hajradinovic – 10 assists

It’s important to note that Nico Williams of Athletic Bilbao has also contributed ten assists this season; however, his lower assist per 90 record keeps him off the list.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina attacking midfielder is currently having a fantastic individual campaign with Kasımpasa in Turkey, but Hajradinovic almost edges him out.