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The 21st century has been the era defined by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The iconic pair have gone toe-to-toe in just about everything whether it was league titles, Champions Leagues a▨nd Ballons d’Or.

Ronaldo and Messi are arguably the best players ever
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R♏onaldo and Messi are arguably the best players eve🏅rCredit: Getty

That was epitomised by the fact t💫hat between 2008 and 2023, only two other players (Luka Modric and Karim Benzema) won the prestigioಌus individual award.

But who else has been crucial to their team? Here, 888betvisa-slots.com looks at the players with the most goal involvements - thaꦍt’s goals and assists - since 2000 across Europe’s top five leagues.

This means that contributions from other leagues and international fixtures, like Messi and Ronaldo aওt the MLS and Saudi Pro League respectively, do not count.

Starting us off it's an Italy legend who could not stop scoring for Udinese...

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20 - Antonio Di Natale (445 games, 277 goal involvements)

The Italy legend started off his career at Empoliꦯ, but moved to Udinese in 2004 where he was prolific.

He won the Serie A Golden Boot twice and was named ꦆin the team of the season on three occasions.

209 of his 277 involvements were goals, showing just 😼how much o𝓰f a superstar he was up front.

Di Natale averaged 163 minutes per go▨al in Serie A, and he sits as the outright sixth-highest scorer ever in the league.

Di Natale kicks off the top 20 list
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Di Natale kicks off the top 20 list

19 - Miroslav Klose (446 games, 279 goal involvements)

Klose was one of the most prolific Bundesliga strikers in the 21st century, starting at Kaiserslauten before starring for Werder Bremen and then Bayern Munich.

He was a two-time Bundesliga winner with Bayern before he finished his career at Lazio.

In Germany, the frontman's 121 goals and 74 assists saw him claim 195 total involvements in 307 appearances in his career.

Then he continued his ꦑform at an older age in Italy, netting 54 times and assists 30 goals in Ser🐬ie A.

Klose has an enviable record across Germany and Italy
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Klose has an enviable record across Germany and Ital👍y

18 - Antoine Griezmann (507 games, 289 goal involvements)

Although born in France, Griezmann has spent his entire career in Spaﷺin’s La Liga.

That has included two spells at Atletico Madrid sandwiched between his time at Barcelona.

His long🏅evꦑity has helped him gain a place on this list, with consistent goal and assist returns over his career.

The striker is now nearing 200 goals in the Spanish top flight as he continues to show that he's one of the best.

Griezmann has been a top LaLiga star for years
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Griezmann has been a top LaLiga star for yearsCredit: Getty

17 - Thierry Henry (321 games, 300 goal involvements)

A true great of the game and remarkable, he still makes the list desꦇpite his professional career beginning in the mid-1990s with Monaco.

The four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner became an absolute legend at Arsenal, terrorising defences up and down the country.

Henry's 175 Premier League goals for the Gunners see him sit seventh in the all-time scoring charts.

And he's also incredibly just short of being inside the top 10 for all-time assists in the division too.

There have been few better Premier League forwards than Henry
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There have been few better Premier League forwards than Hen♕ryCredit: Getty

16 - Mohamed Salah (358 games, 303 goal involvements)

After a tough start to his career at Chelsea, Salah has gone on to become one of the most lethal attacker♊s in world footballಌ.

He joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017 and has become a Premier Leagꦚue 𓆏champion and three-time Golden Boot winner.

The Egyptian King is the Red's third all-time top scorer and stands as the highest-scoring African player ever in England.

In recent years, he's also added some superb assists to his locker, with his passing ability also one of the best in the sport.

Salah is an undisputed Premier League icon
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Salah is an undisputed Premier League iconCredit: Getty

15 - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (459 games, 309 goal involvements)

Aubameyang’s struggles in ♛his later career make it easy to forget just how prolific he was for much of his career.

He was a superstar for Borussia Dortmund 🌠and for Arsenal for most of his time at the club.

The forward is also one of the highest-scoring African players ever to be seen i🐟n the Pr🤪emier League, along with Salah.

He now continues to score in Saudi Arabia, but what is potential🐻ly his fin🌠al spell in Europe came with Marseille in the 2023/34 season.

Aubameyang was one of the best at his peak
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Aubameyang was one of the best at his peakCredit: Getty

14 - Gonzalo Higuain (428 games, 309 goal involvements)

The Argentina striker was prolific in Europe for Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus, winning six league titles in total.

Competing with superstar names like Ronaldo and Messi, he was only once named league top sc𒆙orer. That was in the 201💜5/16 Serie A season.

Higuain contributed to 152 goalꦫs in 224 appearances in Italy which is a superb tally, especially when combined with his time in Spain.

For Madriꦕd, he played 190 LaLiga games and scored 107 goals while also providing 45 assists.

Higuain had a brief spell at Chelsea, but his best years came on the continent
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Higuain had a brief spell at Chelsea, butꦬ his b♑est years came on the continentCredit: Getty Images - Getty

13 - Edin Dzeko (509 games, 513 goal involvements)

Manchester City fans will be well aware of Dzeko’s talents in front of goal and has b🍸een one of the best strikers around this century.

As well as two Premier League titles, he lifted the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg.

He actually scored the most goals in his career in Italy with Roma and Inter Milan though, netting 107 times.

On top of t🦩hat, he provided 5🐓0 assists in his 268 appearances.

Dzeko was loved by Man City fans and helped deliver their first Premier League title
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Dzeko was loved by Man City fans and helped delive📖r their first Premier Leag💛ue title

12 - Wayne Rooney (491 games, 316 involvements)

Manchester United’s record goalscorer Rooney burst onto the scene as a teenager with Everton.

He was one of the most devastating forw꧑ards tꦬhroughout his career, winning five Premier League titles.

Despite all of his 208 goals in the English top flight, he incredibly never won aꦏ Golden Boot before retiring.

His tally does put him third in the all-time scorer list though, only behind Harry Kane and Alan Shearer.

Rooney is one of the best Premier League players in history
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Rooney is one🃏 of the best Premier League plꦜayers in historyCredit: Getty

11 - Edinson Cavani (479 games, 318 goal involvements)

An out-and-out lethal goalscorer who was prolific for Palermo, Napoli, PSG, b♍efore finishing in Euro✱pe with Man United.

As well as numerous league titles, he༺ won the top scorer award in both Italy and France throughout his career.

Cavani is massively underrated and has superb contribution records in Serie A and Ligue 1 specifical💦ly.

The Uruguayan helped provide 127 goals for Palermo and♛ Napoli combined while also netting 138 times in 200 PSG appearances.

Cavani was one of the best strikers in Europe at his peak
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Cavani was🐻 one💃 of the best strikers in Europe at his peakCredit: getty

10 - Harry Kane (364 games, 325 goal involvements)

Kane may have never won a trophy in his🌌 career still, but he has been lethal for Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

The𓃲 31-year-old is a three-time Premier League Golde🧸n Boot winner, plus he won the Bundesliga equivalent in his first season at Bayern.

He has broken multiple records in just his first two ca🐻mpaigns in Germany, carrying h💝is immense quality elsewhere in Europe.

Kane has averaged over a goaꦇl a game for Bayern so far in the league, while he is the second-highest scorer🤡 of all time in his home country.

Kane has been smashing goals in for Bayern since his move from Tottenham
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Kane has been smashi🔯ng goals in for Bayern since💛 his move from TottenhamCredit: Getty

9 - Francesco Totti (459 games, 327 goal involvements)

Totti is the epitome of a one🔜-club man, spending his entire career wit🐎h Roma.

He scored 250 Serie A goals over an illustrious career, thౠat included oneℱ league title.

The Italian also provided 160 assists across his whopping 618 league appearances in his hꩵom🅷e country.

He's, of course, known as a Roma icon and he will certainly go down as one of the best scorers Italy has ever seen.

Totti is a hero in Rome, never playing for another club
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To🎐tti is a hero in Rome, never playing for another clubCredit: AFP

8 - Sergio Aguero (454 games, 336 goal involvements)

Aguero be🐬came one of the greates🍌t forwards in Premier League history after moving to Man City from Atletico Madrid.

He helped them win five league titles, before a move to Barcelona that abruptly ended because of a heart problem.

That♍ w💟as a sad ending to a very successful career that sees him inside the top 10 of this list.

His 184 goals in the Premier League have him fifth in the all-timꦬe rankings, amongst some of the best strikers ever.

Aguero was a superstar at Man City for over a decade
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Ague꧂ro was a superstar at Man City for over a decadeCredit: AFP or licensors

7 - Luis Suarez (368 games, 356 goal involvements)

A truly devastating forward that embarrassed Premier League and La𒀰Liga defenders for Liverpool and Barcelona.

His goal involvement-per-game ratio is up there with the v💯ery best in history, almost ave♛raging one a match.

Suarez provided 96 goal 🍰contributions in just 110 games in England, winning one golden boot🤡 during his time there.

He continued his success in Spain afterwards, winning five🐟 league titles with Barca and Atletico Madrid🐻, scoring 176 times in the competition.

Suarez had a habit of embarrassing defenders across Europe
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Suarez had a habit of embarrassing defender💛s across EuropeCredit: Getty

6 - Thomas Muller (486 games, 358 goal involvements)

Another incredible one-club man is Muller, w🌸ho broke the record 🐷for most Bayern Munich appearances this season.

His goals and assists have helped him 𝐆win an🐈 astonishing 12 Bundesliga titles.

And he continues to feature for Bayern now, with the club legend aimin♐g for another league trophy to add to his collection.

Muller's 150 goals in the Bundesliga have him 17th in the all-time records and he is the only active player inside the top 30.

Muller's longevity at the top is unrivalled
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Muller's longevity at the top is unrivalledCredit: Getty

5 - Karim Benzema (551 games, 423 goal involvements)

Benzema was part of a truly great Real Madrid teamꦯ and his goals 💟were key to that too.

Recognitio▨n of his talent came when he won the Ballon d’Or in 2022 ahead of the legendary Ronaldo and Messi.

That achievement came after scoring 44 goals🃏 in 46 games a꧙s he won LaLiga and the Champions League.

In total throughout his league career at Real, he scored and assisted a combine🔯d 357 goals in 439 🌺games which is a stunning number.

Benzema won the Ballon d'Or in 2022
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Benzema won the Ballon d'Or in 2022Credit: AFP

4 - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (467 games, 426 goal involvements)

Zlatan may be the opposite of a one-club man, ✅but he’s been no๊ less prolific.

He has been ✱a superstar in the Eredivisie, Serie A, LaLiga, Ligue 1, and Premier League - only the Bundeslꦉiga is missing from his record.

I🌸brahimovic scored his most goals in Italy, scoring 156 goals in 283 appearances in total across multiple c𝄹lubs.

But he was his most prolific with PSG 😼in France, netting 113 goals in 122 games in Ligue 1 while also providing 44 assists.

Ibrahimovic played for some of Europe's top sides
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Ibrahimovic played for some of Europe's top sidesCredit: Getty

3 - Robert Lewandowski (468 games, 461 goal involvements)

For Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Lewandowski has been an unstoppable force in front of goal.

His near goal-per-game ratio has consistently proved him to be one of the all-time e𒅌lite.

At 36 years old, he is showing no signs of slowing down his scoring and he's still making a huge impact at Barca.

On top of his domestic scoring, the Pole is also now one of the highest scorers in Champions League history.

Lewandowski has been a goal machine for major European clubs
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Lewandowski has been a goal machine for major European ꦫclubsCredit: Getty

2 - Cristiano Ronaldo (626 games, 646 goal involvements)

The𝔍re is a huge gap between the top two and the rest, showing just how far ahead Ronaldo a🔯nd Messi have been.

Ronaldo has been at the top for Man United, Real Madrid, and Juventus in Europe - winning trophies and individual accolades everywhere he goes.

He's the Champions League's record goalscorer and🍸 has🧸 been one of the most dangerous players in the world for decades.

The icon averag𓄧ed over a goal a game in Madrid, and then 🌌when at Juventus, he scored another 100 goals in Italy.

Now at Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, he continues to increase his incredible goal record and it doesn't seem like he'll be stopping soon.

Ronaldo's record for Real Madrid is frightening
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Ronaldo's record for Real Madrid is frighteningCredit: Getty - Contributor

1 - Lionel Messi (578 games, 743 goal involvements)

What sets Messi apart is the assists, racking u🃏p 216 in LaLiga alone compared to Ronaldo’s 44.

Messi is an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner 🌟and serial winner of just about everything 🐬going.

There’s a reason why he is the most decorated player in history.

To have almost 200 mo🐎re goal involvements that games played is an incredible tally and one no player will ever reach.

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474 of his involvements are just his goals in La Liga while anotheᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ�🦂�ᩚᩚᩚr 22 were added to his record in Ligue 1 with PSG.

All stats from

Messi is Barcelona and Argentina's all-time top goalscorer
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Messi is Barcelona and Argentina's all-time top goalscorerCredit: Getty Images - Getty
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