Lamine Yamal is climbing the Champions League assist charts at an incredible rate, and six legends could fall behind him this season. The Barcelona forward moved past Steven Gerrard, Eden Hazard and David Silva thanks to his pair of assists against Galatasaray on Tuesday, and he now has 13 for his career.
So who else should be in his sights over the next few months? Here are the six players he can overtake.
David Beckham
Just one more assist and Yamal will be level with Beckham on 14.
Beckham played more than 100 times in the Champions League across his spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and PSG.
Some sources, like Transfermarkt, put Beckham’s tally higher, but the UEFA website says 13. Because it is UEFA’s competition, we are taking their word for it.
Andrea Pirlo
Next up on 15 is Pirlo, an absolute magician of a midfielder.
Pirlo twice won the Champions League with AC Milan and finished as a two-time runner-up, once with Milan and once with Juventus.
Like Beckham, he made more than 100 Champions League appearances. Yamal currently has 35.
Marco Reus
A rare face of modern-day loyalty, Reus also has 15 Champions League assists, all from his time with Borussia Dortmund.
He played 72 times in the Champions League before heading off to MLS, just after becoming a runner-up for the second time.
Luis Figo
When Yamal reaches 15, he will also match Figo. He is probably best off not matching Figo’s decision to quit Barcelona for Real Madrid, though.
Figo won the Ballon d’Or at his very best, and that is the level Yamal is striving for.
Like Beckham, Figo has different Champions League assist tallies depending on the source, as do the next two names on this list.
Thierry Henry
On 16, former Arsenal, Monaco and Barcelona forward Henry could also be surpassed.
We obviously think of him more as a goalscorer, but he was an attacking talent capable of playing anywhere and making an impact.
That meant he was just as likely to create chances as he was to convert them. Remember his 20 assists in a single Premier League season?
Raul
Raul once stood proud as the Champions League’s all-time top scorer, until Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record that will probably last forever.
But the Real Madrid legend also set up a few goals: 16, in fact.
That is a benchmark within Yamal’s reach, although Raul’s goal tally of 71 is not. For now.