Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr has overtaken Lionel Messi for the most assists in Champions League knockout history, even as his side crashed out of the tournament.
The Brazilian reached the milestone during Madrid’s 4-3 second-leg defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, which sealed a 6-4 aggregate loss.
Despite the disappointment, Vinicius set up Kylian Mbappé for Madrid’s third goal of the night—his 13th career assist in 41 knockout matches.
According to HITC, that puts him one ahead of Messi, who managed 12 assists in 77 such appearances. However, Vinicius still trails Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the all-time record with 15 assists in 85 knockout games.
At 24, the Madrid star has time on his side. If he maintains his current form, breaking Ronaldo’s mark is a realistic target.
Vinicius has already won two Champions League titles with Los Blancos, while Messi has four and Ronaldo five—four of which came during his Madrid years, plus one with Manchester United.
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