Lionel Messi equalled the record for the most assists in international football in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Peru in Buenos Aires on November 19, 2024.

During their FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers clash against Peru, Lionel Messi set up Lautaro Martinez’s sensational goal to register his 58th assist for the Argentina national football team and also match the record for the most assists in international football with United States men's national team legend Landon Donovan.

Former American footballer Landon Donovan also recorded 58 assists in his illustrious international football career.

Brazil national football team talisman Neymar is second on the list for the most assists in international football. He has already accumulated 57 assists in 126 appearances. 

The likes of Ferenc Puskas (53), Sandor Kocsis (50), Kevin De Bruyne (49), Pele (47), Mesut Ozil (40), Cristiano Ronaldo (37) and David Beckham (36) feature next on the legendary list.

Know players with the most assists in international football.

Most assists in international football

Player	Team	Appearances	Assists
Landon Donovan	USA	157	58
Lionel Messi	Argentina	190	58
Neymar	Brazil	126	57
Ferenc Puskas	Hungary	85	53
Sandor Kocsis	Hungary	68	50
Kevin De Bruyne	Belgium	107	49
Pele	Brazil	92	47
Mesut Ozil	Germany	92	40
Cristiano Ronaldo	Portugal	217	37
David Beckham	England	115	36

Landon Donovan | 58 assists

Landon Donovan previously held the record for the most assists in international football. Considered to be one of the greatest American football players of all time, Landon Donovan recorded 58 assists in 157 appearances between 2000 and 2014. Interestingly, Landon Donovan also shares the record with Clint Dempsey for the most international goals scored by a male USA player (57).

Lionel Messi | 58 assists

Lionel Messi recently matched Landon Donovan’s record for the most assists in international football. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Lionel Messi has accumulated 58 assists in 190 appearances for La Albiceleste. Additionally, the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner also features second in the all-time top international goalscorers list behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi has netted 112 goals for Argentina while Ronaldo tops the list with 135 goals.

Neymar | 57 assists

Former Brazil captain Neymar features third on the list for the most assists in international football. Widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, Neymar has amassed 57 assists in just 126 appearances for the Brazil national football team. Furthermore, Neymar is Brazil's all-time top goalscorer in international football with 79 goals, two more than legendary Pele.

Photo credit: Imago 

The Saudi Pro League 2024-25 began on August 22, 2024 and will conclude on May 26, 2024.

Organised by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 is the 49th edition of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs.

As per the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 schedule, as many as 18 teams will compete in a total 306 matches over a span of nine months. Each team will play the other 17 sides twice in a home-and-away format. 

Al-Kholood, Al-Orobah, and Al-Qadsiah FC are the three promoted clubs that are featuring in Saudi Pro League 2024-25. These three teams have replaced Abha, Al-Hazem, and Al-Tai who were relegated to the Saudi First Division League 2024-25 .

Al-Hilal SFC are the defending champions of the Saudi Pro League, having pipped Al-Nassr FC by 14 points to clinch their 19th league title last season.

Meanwhile, the likes of Al-Nassr FC, Al-Ahli Saudi, Al-Taawoun FC, Al-Ittihad Club, Al-Ettifaq FC and newly-promoted Al Qadsiah FC are expected to offer a strong challenge to reigning champions Al-Hilal SFC in the 2024-25 season.

Apart from the league title, all eyes will be on the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 top-scorers race.

Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo pipped Aleksandar Mitrović of Al-Hilal to win the Golden Boot in the Saudi Pro League last season. The Portuguese star netted 35 goals in just 31 appearances in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24.

Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, Neymar, Abderrazak Hamdallah, Talisca, Firas Al-Buraikan, Odion Ighalo, Malcom and Bernard Mensah will be in the race for the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 Golden Boot.

Some of the talented Saudi local stars will also aim to impress in the ongoing Saudi Pro League.

Here’s a look at the Saudi Pro League 2024-25 top-scorers list:

Saudi Pro League 2024-25 top scorers list

Player	Club	Matches	Goals
Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr FC	2	2
Craig Goodwin	Al-Wehda FC	1	2
Talisca	Al-Nassr FC	2	2
Julián Quiñones	Al-Qadsiah FC	2	2
Aleksandar Mitrović	Al-Hilal SFCÂ	1	2
Turki Al-Ammar	Al-Qadsiah FC	1	1
Bernard Mensah	Al-Riyadh SCÂ	1	1
Lucas Kal	Al-Riyadh SCÂ	1	1
Djaniny	Al-Fateh SC	2	1
Marcelo Brozovic	Al-Nassr FC	2	1

Photo credit: Alamy

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as the highest paid footballer 2024, according to the annual list released by Forbes.

Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo pipped Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) talisman Kylian Mbappé to be listed as the highest paid footballer in the world.

As per the Forbes list, Ronaldo also edged Spanish professional golfer Jon Rahm to become the world’s highest paid athlete, leading the list for the fourth time in his career with an estimated total earnings of $260 million.

Since his much-talked about transfer from Manchester United to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr, Ronaldo earned a whopping $200 million annual salary at his club over the last 12 months.

Apart from his massive on-field earnings, the Portuguese star raked in $60 million through multiple endorsement deals, including with his partners crypto exchange Binance and fitness app Erakulis. Nike, Herbalife, Clear Hair Care and recently, Whoop are some of the other brand deals Ronaldo has ties with.

Additionally, the Portugal national football captain is also owed a $10.5 million check from his former club, Juventus, after an arbitrator ruled the Serie A team was still on the hook for outstanding wages dating back to a Covid-19 pandemic pay cut.

On the other hand, Lionel Messi earned $135 million over the past one year, largely thanks to his huge $65 million annual salary with Inter Miami, which is now the second-most valuable franchise in Major League Soccer (MLS) at $1.03 billion. 

Messi also earned another $70 million off the field, from his numerous endorsement deals including Adidas, Apple, Konami and Lowe’s.

Apart from Ronaldo and Messi, PSG forward Kylian Mbappé features sixth in the top 10 list of highest paid athletes in the world and is currently the third highest paid footballer.

The French professional footballer raked in a combined $110 million through on field and off field earnings. Mbappé currently earns $90 million at PSG while the remaining $20 million has come through various endorsements.

Neymar and Karim Benzema are the other two players from the Saudi Pro League to feature in the highest paid football players 2024 list. Get list of highest paid footballers 2024.

Highest paid footballers 2024

AthleteÂ	On-Field	Off-Field	Earnings Value	Overall Ranking
Cristiano Ronaldo	$200 million	$60 million	$260 million	1
Lionel Messi	$65 million	$70 million	$135 million	3
Kylian MbappéÂ	$90 million	$20 million	$110 million	6
Neymar	$80 million	$28 million	$108 million	7
Karim Benzema	$100 million	$6 million	$106 million	8

Highest paid athletes 2024

AthleteÂ	Sport	On-Field	Off-Field	Earnings Value	Overall Ranking
Cristiano Ronaldo	Football	$200 million	$60 million	$260 million	1
Jon Rahm	Golf	$198 million	$20 million	$218 million	2
Lionel Messi	Football	$65 million	$70 million	$135 million	3
LeBron James	Basketball	$48.2 million	$80 million	$128.2 million	4
Giannis Antetokounmpo	Basketball	$46 million	$65 million	$111 million	5
Kylian MbappéÂ	Football	$90 million	$20 million	$110 million	6
Neymar	Football	$80 million	$28 million	$108 million	7
Karim Benzema	Football	$100 million	$6 million	$106 million	8
Stephen Curry	Basketball	$52 million	$50 million	$102 million	9
Lamar Jackson	American football	$98.5 million	$2 million	$100.5 million	10

Photo credit: Alamy

Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal will lock horns with arch-rivals Al-Nassr in the Saudi Super Cup 2024 semi-final at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

The Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Saudi Super Cup 2024 semi-final will start at 1:00 AM IST on Tuesday, April 9. Live streaming and telecast of the match will be available in India.

Organised by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, the Saudi Super Cup is an annual super cup football match.

Founded in 2013, it started off as a two-team competition. Since 2022-23, the Saudi Super Cup has been contested by four teams - the winners and runners-up of the King Cup and Saudi Pro League.

Under manager Jorge Jesus, Al-Hilal will head into the Riyadh derby brimming with confidence after defeating Al-Khaleej 4-1 away from home in their previous encounter in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24.

With the victory, Al-Hilal are inching closer to winning the Saudi Pro League as they currently placed on top of the 2023-24 standings with 77 points from 27 matches. They are currently 12 points clear of second-placed Al-Nassr.

On the other hand, Al-Nassr secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Damac in their last match in the ongoing Saudi Pro League.

Having registered 21 wins, two draws and suffered four defeats, Al-Nassr have accumulated 65 points from 27 matches.

All eyes will once again be on Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who has already netted 12 goals in 11 appearances, including two hat-tricks in 2024. 

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal will miss the services of their talisman Neymar, who is still recovering after he underwent surgery for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his left knee in November last year.

Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr head-to-head

Al-Hilal hold a superior head-to-head record against Al-Nassr across competitions, winning 74 of the 174 matches that they have played so far. Al-Nassr have registered 55 victories while as many as 45 matches have ended in draws.

The last time these two rivals met, Al-Hilal secured a 2-0 victory over Al-Nassr in the final of the Riyadh Season Cup at the Kingdom Arena in February.

Where to watch Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Saudi Super Cup 2024 semi-final live in India

The Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Saudi Super Cup 2024 semi-final will be telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Al-Hilal vs Al-Nassr Saudi Super Cup 2024 semi-final will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Saudi Pro League 2023-24 started on August 11, 2023 and will conclude on May 27, 2024.

Ahead of the new season, the Saudi Pro League made few changes. The number of teams have increased from 16 to 18 clubs from the 2023-24 season. 

Four teams were promoted from the Saudi First Division League 2022-23, and only two teams were be relegated from the Saudi Pro League instead of the usual three.

As many as 18 teams will compete in a total of 306 matches over a span of nine months. 

Al-Ahli, Al-Hazem, Al-Okhdood, and Al-Riyadh are the four promoted clubs that will feature in the 48th edition of the Saudi Professional League. 

Al-Ittihad Club are the defending champions of the Saudi Pro League, having pipped Al-Nassr FC by five points to clinch their ninth league title last season.

The likes of Al-Ahli Saudi, Al-Hilal, Al-Taawoun FC, Al-Ettifaq FC and Al-Nassr FC are expected to offer a strong challenge to reigning champions Al-Ittihad in the 2023-24 season.

Apart from the league title, all eyes will be on the race for the top-scorer in Saudi Pro League 2023-24.

Several top European footballers including the likes of Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Riyad Mahrez, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino, Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and Sadio Mane have followed Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi top-division league.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished as the top-scorer in the Arab Club Champions Cup 2023, will be a leading contender to take home the Golden Boot in the Saudi Pro League 2023-24.

Some of the talented Saudi local stars will also aim to impress in the ongoing Saudi Pro League. Al-Ittihad striker Abderrazak Hamdallah was the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League last season. He netted 21 goals in 26 appearances in Saudi Pro League 2022-23.

Here’s a look at the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 top-scorers list:

Saudi Pro League 2023-24 top scorers list

Rank	Player	Club	Matches	Goals
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr FC	18	20
2	Aleksandar Mitrovic	Al-Hilal SFC	17	17
3	Georges-Kevin N'Koudou	Damac FC Â	17	14
4	Talisca	Al-Nassr FC	14	11
5	Firas Al-Buraikan	Al-Ahli Saudi FC	17	11
6	Abderrazak Hamdallah	Al-Ittihad Club	14	10
7	Karim Benzema	Al-Ittihad Club	15	9
8	Salem Al-Dawsar	Al-Hilal SFC	18	9
9	Malcom	Al-Hilal SFC	18	9
10	Bernard Mensah	Al-Tai FC	15	9

Photo credit: Alamy

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was the highest paid footballer of 2023, according to the annual list released by Forbes.

Having joined Saudi Pro League giants Al-Nassr FC in January 2023 after his second spell with Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo has earned a whopping $260 million over the last 12 months, making him the world’s highest paid athlete.

Ronaldo, who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr, earns an estimated $214 million per season, making it the highest salary in world football. His weekly wage is around $3.9 million. 

Apart from his on-field earnings which include salary, prize money and bonuses, the Portuguese superstar raked in millions through multiple endorsement deals, appearance fees, licensing income and cash returns from businesses he runs.

Al-Nassr captain Ronaldo pipped long-time rival and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi and Al Hilal SFC Neymar to become the highest paid footballer in the world.

Lionel Messi features second on the list for the highest paid football players of 2023 with total earnings of $135 million.

Messi’s former teammate and Al-Hilal forward Neymar is third on the list with total earnings of $112 million.

Neymar reportedly earns $163.7 million per year at Al-Hilal, a team he joined back in August.

PSG star Kylian Mbappé and former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema complete the top five list for the highest paid football players of 2023.

While Mbappé raked in a combined $110 million through on-field and off-field earnings, Benzema, who joined Saudi club Al-Ittihad this year, earned $106 million over the past one year.

Apart from Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane is the other player from the Saudi Pro League to feature in the highest paid football players of 2023 list. 

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland edged Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and teammate Kevin De Bruyne to become the highest paid footballer player in the Premier League.

Haaland, with total earnings of $58 million, eclipsed Salah ($53 million) and De Bruyne ($39 million). Here’s the full list of highest paid football players of 2023.

Highest paid football players of 2023

Rank	Player	Club	Earnings
1	Cristiano Ronaldo	Al-Nassr FC	$260 million
2	Lionel Messi	Inter Miami CF	$135 million
3	Neymar	Al Hilal SFC	$112 million
4	Kylian MbappéÂ	Paris Saint-Germain	$110 million
5	Karim Benzema	Al-Ittihad Club	$106 million
6	Erling Haaland	Manchester CityÂ	$58 million
7	Mohamed Salah	Liverpool FC	$53 million
8	Sadio Mane	Al-Nassr FC	$52 million
9	Kevin De Bruyne	Manchester City	$39 million
10	Harry Kane	FC Bayern Munich	$34 million

 

Photo credit: Alamy

With Lionel Messi coming to MLS this past summer, soccer in the U.S. was forever changed. It led to an immediate impact in the popularity of the sport. Miami FC prices rose to an all time high and the number of MLS Apple subscribers have more than doubled. Moreover, the top US soccer betting sites recognizing that soccer remains the world’s most popular sport, have been promoting Miami FC’s matched on their platform to th point where Miami FC became the second most bet soccer team in the league. 

At the same time, with Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, a debate has stirred about which superstar is playing in the better league right now. Ronaldo himself has stated that the Saudi League is better than MLS despite never playing in MLS. Let’s explore this topic a little to see if we can determine whether the Saudi Pro League is better than MLS.

Star Power

The biggest reason why there is a debate between the Saudi Pro League and MLS is the fact that Ronaldo and several other stars made the leap from top European clubs to clubs in Saudi Arabia. Bonafide superstars like Neymar, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, N'Golo Kanté, Jordan Henderson, Riyad Mahrez, Ruben Neves, Roberto Firmino, and several others have all taken big paydays and joined teams in the Saudi Pro League. Needless to say, that has filled the Saudi Pro League with an abundance of star power.

On the other hand, Messi is only the biggest and latest superstar to move from Europe to MLS. The top-flight league in the U.S. has long attracted top European stars in the twilight of their career. Long before Messi, the likes of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Frank Lampard all joined MLS teams. In other words, MLS was bringing in star players long before the Saudi Pro League was. Among current players, Messi is joined by the likes of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Xherdan Shaqiri, Lorenzo Insigne, and others among former European stars finding a home in MLS.

Overall Quality

The obvious caveat for both the Saudi Pro League and MLS is that their transplants from top European clubs are all past their primes. Even superstars like Messi and Ronaldo aren’t the elite players they once were, even if they still attract fans. To create a strong and competitive league, it takes a deep player pool, not just a dozen superstars.

This is where MLS has a clear advantage over the Saudi Pro League. Outside of stars like Messi, MLS has quality players from all over the world. MLS has a long history of having players called up to national teams despite not always recognizing international breaks. In November 2023, 45 players from the Saudi Pro League left to play for their national teams while MLS had more than twice as many leave their clubs for national team duty. 

Outside of the recent collection of European stars, not all of whom still play internationally, the Saudi Pro League doesn’t send a large collection of players to national teams with some Saudi clubs only having one or two international players on their squad. Only one Saudi club had more than four players on international duty in November whereas nine MLS teams sent five or more players to their national team.

The Verdict

Despite Messi’s presence in MLS, the Saudi Pro League surely has a bigger collection of stars than MLS. However, the overall depth of MLS makes it a better, more competitive league. MLS has more teams, more international players, and also sends its best young players to top European clubs whereas the Saudi Pro League doesn’t. While the Saudi Pro League has done well to acquire big names and excellent talent, from top to bottom, MLS has more quality and should be considered a superior league.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Saudi Pro League 2023-24 football season started on Friday, August 11 as Al-Ahli Saudi FC beat Al-Hazm 3-1 at the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

As many as 18 teams will play a total of 34 matches each over nine months over the course of the season. 

Defending champions Al-Ittihad began their Saudi Pro League 2023-24 campaign with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Al-Raed in their away fixture at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on August 14.

Under manager Nuno Espírito Santo, Al-Ittihad rode on Abderrazak Hamdallah’s 58th minute strike and a brace from Brazilian midfielder Igor Coronado to commence their title defence with an impressive victory.

Last season, Nuno Espírito Santo’s men pipped Al-Nassr by five points to clinch their ninth Saudi Pro League crown and their first league title in 14 years. 

Al-Ittihad have further bolstered their squad by signing former Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema, ex-Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté and Portuguese winger Jota.

One of the title favourites, Al-Nassr, went down to Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq FC 1-2 in their Saudi Pro League 2023-24 at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam.

After winning the Arab Club Champions Cup 2023, Al-Nassr missed the services of their captain Cristiano Ronaldo and fielded a weakened side. 

Al Nassr conceded goals from Robin Quaison and Moussa Dembele to lose their opening fixture of the Saudi Pro League 2023-24. Sadio Mane earlier opened the scoring for Al-Nassr in the fourth minute.

Led by head coach Luís Castro, Al-Nassr have also strengthened their squad by roping in the likes of Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, Seko Fofana and Sadio Mane in the summer transfer window.

Al-Hilal are the most successful team in the Saudi Pro League history, having won the title a record 18 times.

Having finished third last season with 59 points from 30 matches, Al-Hilal beat Abha 3-1 in their 2023-24 campaign opener.

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal have completed the signing of Brazilian talisman Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain for a transfer fee of around �?0 million.

Apart from Neymar, Malcom, Rúben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Kalidou Koulibaly have also joined Al-Hilal.

Al-Ahli, Al-Hazem, Al-Okhdood, and Al-Riyadh are the four newly-promoted clubs in the 2023-24 season.

The Saudi Pro League 2023-24 season will conclude on May 27, 2024.

Where to watch the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 season live in India?

Select matches of the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 season will be telecast live on the Sony Sports Ten 1 and Sony Sports Ten 1 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Saudi Pro League 2023-24 season will be available on the SonyLIV app and website in India.

Photo credit: Alamy

Brazilian superstar Neymar has reportedly signed a two-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.

Neymar is expected to join the Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain.

Al-Hilal are the most decorated club in Asia with 66 official trophies. Nicknamed Al-Za'eem (The Bosses), Al-Hilal have won a record 18 Saudi Pro League titles, a record 13 Crown Prince Cup trophies, a record seven Saudi Federation Cup titles, 10 King Cups, three Super Cups, as well as the Saudi Founder’s Cup.

They have also clinched a record eight Asian Football Confederation trophies, including the AFC Champions League in 1991, 2000, 2019 and 2021, the Asian Cup Winners Cup in 1997 and 2002, and the Asian Super Cup in 1997 and 2000.

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) recognised Al-Hilal as the Best Asian Club of the 20th Century in September 2009.

Neymar to Al-Hilal transfer fee

Saudi Arabian heavyweights Al-Hilal are expected to sign Neymar from PSG for an initial transfer fee worth �?0 million ($98.5m).

The transfer fee is expected to rise based on various performance-related add-ons.

In 2017, Neymar became the most expensive player in football history after PSG signed him from FC Barcelona for �?22m.

Neymar Al Hilal salary

Neymar will reportedly earn �?50m ($163.7m) per year at Al-Hilal, which means he is expected to collect �?00M over two seasons. This is believed to be six times more than his PSG salary.

The Brazilian national football team talisman will be one of the highest-paid players in the Saudi Pro League. 

However, Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo will remain the highest paid footballer in the world. The Portuguese footballer earns a staggering $213 million (£173m) annually at Al Nassr. 

Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate Benzema bags a whopping £172.77m per season after signing a three-year contract with Al-Ittihad.

Apart from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Neymar will join the likes of Sadio Mane, N'Golo Kante, Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and Ruben Neves who have moved to Saudi Arabia from the various top European leagues this season.

Considered to be one of the best footballers in modern era, Neymar has netted 436 goals in 708 games in his illustrious career so far.

He’s scored 136 goals for Santos, 105 goals for Barcelona, 118 goals for PSG and has 77 goals for the Brazilian national team.

Photo credit: Alamy

What is the best attacking trio in football history is a question fiercely debated among football fans. While football teams play with different attacking strategies and deploy varying tactics depending on their manager, some of the best offences in football history have featured attacking trios. 

Some managers prefer to go with two strikers up front serving as target men with midfielders and fullbacks providing the width, while others go with one striker up front. However, most of the successful teams in football history have more often than not deployed attacking trios, giving rise to the question: what is the best trio in football history?

A football attacking trio with good chemistry between themselves has been a long-existing and tried-and-trusted formula in the sport. An attacking trio features one centre forward and two attack-minded players in the wide areas operating from either side.

From the the Brazilian national team of yesteryear where Pele, Jairzinho and Tostao took up the duties of going forward, to the modern day iconic tridents of Messi-Suarez-Neymar at Barcelona and Benzema-Bale-Ronaldo at Real Madrid - football fans have seen plenty of explosive attacking trios over the years. 

Here we look at some of the best trios in football history which gave opposition defences nightmares while on the pitch. 

Best trio in football history 

MSN

With the purchase of Luis Suarez after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona assembled an attacking trio that ripped defences apart for fun. The Uruguayan frontman joined the company of Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr, bringing together one of the best trios in football history. 

Between the three of them, Messi, Suarez and Neymar scored 364 goals between themselves from the beginning of the 2014-15 season until Neymar Jr left Barcelona, bringing an end to the trio in 2017. 

They won the coveted treble in their first full season under Luis Enrique in 2014-15, scoring 122 goals between themselves. 

BBC

Another trio that was in full swing during the same time period as MSN was Real Madrid’s BBC, consisting of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

In their first full season together, the trio scored 97 goals between them and went on to win the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid in 2014. This attacking trio won four Champions League titles in five seasons as well as two league titles. 

RRR

Among national teams, the combination that gets the most attention in recent years is Brazil’s famed trio of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, referred to as the ‘Three Rs of football�? They are often regarded as the best trio in football history, with each player showcasing unique flair, unparalleled quality and skill in the team. 

Their exploits helped Brazil win the FIFA World Cup in 2002, where they scored 15 goals between themselves. They also won the Copa America in 1999, scoring a combined 11 goals.

Photo Credit: Alamy