Messi becomes all-time leader in international assists as Ronaldo hits new milestone

Lionel Messi has rewritten football history once again, becoming the top assist-maker in men’s international football. The Argentina captain provided two assists during a dominant 6-0 win over Puerto Rico at Chase Stadium in Florida, taking his career total to 60.

Messi’s latest record saw him move past Neymar and Landon Donovan, who each have 58 assists for their countries. The 37-year-old set up goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martínez, with the latter scoring twice as Argentina cruised to victory. Gonzalo Montiel also found the net, while an own goal from Steven Echevarría completed the rout for the world champions.

The milestone adds another chapter to Messi’s remarkable international career, which began with his first assist at age 19 during Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia at the 2006 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo continued to extend his own legacy at 40. The Portuguese forward scored twice in a 2-2 draw against Hungary, taking his World Cup qualifying goals tally to 41 — the most by any player in history. Ronaldo first equalized after Ádám Szalai’s opener, surpassing Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz for the record, before adding a second before halftime.

With 143 international goals and 947 across his club and country career, Ronaldo edges closer to an unprecedented 1,000-goal milestone. However, despite his brace, Portugal’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup remains on hold until next month.

Two decades after they first shared the world stage, Messi and Ronaldo continue to define football’s highest standards — one breaking records with vision, the other with finishing.