Messi reaches 20 goals and 20 assists in Europe’s top five leagues

Lionel Mes­si has become the only play­er in Europe’s top five leagues to score 20 goals and pro­vide 20 assists in the 2022–23 sea­son. The PSG super­star achieved the feat with his assist for Kylian Mbappe’s goal in Sunday’s 2–1 win over Aux­erre.

Mes­si has 20 goals and 20 assists in all com­pe­ti­tions for PSG this sea­son, with 15 goals and 16 assists com­ing in Ligue 1, four goals and four assists in the Cham­pi­ons League, one goal in the Tro­phee des Cham­pi­ons, and no goals or assists in the Coupe de France.

The 35-year-old also reached anoth­er mile­stone in his club career as he has now reg­is­tered a com­bined total of 300 assists. He is also the sec­ond play­er this cen­tu­ry to reach 20 goals and 20 assists in one of Europe’s top five leagues, after Thier­ry Hen­ry for Arse­nal in 2002-03.

Mes­si has been in sen­sa­tion­al form for PSG this sea­son, help­ing them win their first Ligue 1 title since 2019–20 and reach the quar­ter-finals of the Cham­pi­ons League. He has also bro­ken sev­er­al records along the way, includ­ing becom­ing the play­er with the most Bal­lon d’Or awards (sev­en) and the play­er with the most Gold­en Shoe awards (sev­en).

Messi’s future at PSG remains uncer­tain as his con­tract expires at the end of the sea­son. He has been linked with a return to Barcelona, where he spent 21 years and won 34 tro­phies. He has also been rumored to be inter­est­ed in a move to Man­ches­ter City, where he could reunite with his for­mer coach Pep Guardiola.