The 25 best passers in football history – ranked

Passing is an art form and a fundamental skill that every player must be able to do in order to play the beautiful game. Some players have taken that art form to another level, becoming icons for their legendary assists tallies and speechless moments from their passing ability.

With 111 Premier League assists, former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has the third-most assists in the league's history. From one-touch dinked-through balls to perfectly hit diagonals across the pitch, Fabregas could play a deeper or higher role and still be equally effective.

In the 1970s and 80s, French playmaker Michel Platini was a global superstar known for his ability to create chances out of nothing through his incredible passing and dribbling. Platini won three Ballon d'Or trophies.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Xabi Alonso was a classy midfielder who played the best of his career at Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich, creating deadly partnerships with Fernando Torres, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Robert Lewandowski. Alonso could play on the front foot, with his perfect low-driven passes through defenses, and he could play with composure and dictate the game.

Liverpool's Trent Alexander Arnold isn't even close to finishing his football career, but his out-of-this-world passing ability has never been seen in football history. From full-back, Arnold can dictate games using his outer foot and instep, creating opportunities out of nothing from his passing range.

Wayne Rooney is one of the greatest goalscorers in history, which masked his incredible ability as a passer, especially during the latter part of his career. Rooney's ability to drop in deep and play lofted balls over the top of defenders led to 103 Premier League assists, putting him fourth all-time.

Luis Figo played primarily on the right in his career, playing for FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at the peak of his powers. The former Ballon d'Or winner was the top assist provider in La Liga in two seasons and recorded more assists (218) than goals (119) during his career, per Transfermarkt.

As much as he was a physical and aggressive powerhouse, Patrick Vieira became the first Premier League midfielder to blend that physical presence with the ability to find players with his incredible passing ability. Ian Wright and Thierry Henry scored buckets of goals because of Vieira's ability to knock the ball over the defense.

With 128 assists in his career, Francesco Totti was as much a playmaker as he was a goalscorer during his legendary career at AS Roma. He was the Serie A's top assist provider in two seasons and could play the perfect killer through ball.

Dennis Bergkamp was an extraordinary playmaker during his career. He formed one of the most incredible partnerships with Thierry Henry at Arsenal. Wherever Henry wanted the ball, Bergkamp would find him, leading to three Premier League titles and three FA Cups.

David Silva was the original architect for Manchester City in their formative years of becoming the most dominant team in England. His passing ability earned him the nickname 'El Mago' and he was the Premier League assist leader in 2012. From short-range to long-range, Silva could do it all.

Steven Gerrard was a do-it-all midfielder during his legendary career for Liverpool. He mastered the driven-through ball and his long passing. He and Fernando Torres formed a formidable partnership, with Torres scoring Gerrard's creative passes. Gerrard provided 92 Premier League assists.

During their glory years, Manchester United had Beckham on the right and Ryan Giggs tearing up the left-hand side. Giggs was an unbelievable playmaker and holds the record for Premier League assists (162), according to the Premier League website.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

David Beckham made a career out of being the best crosser of a ball during the 1990s and 2000s. His right foot struck fear into the opposition, creating countless goals and lifting Manchester United and Real Madrid to trophy success.

Andrés Iniesta completes the Barcelona Tiki-Taka trio, with Iniesta playing a vital role in dominating teams with his passing ability. He won nine La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League four times.

Mesut Özil was the star of a new wave of playmakers in the 21st century, who could play anywhere across the frontline and would focus solely on creation. Özil will be remembered for his time at Real Madrid and Arsenal, and no stage was too big for the German. He has been the top assist provider in the World Cup, European Championship, Champions League, Europa League, Bundesliga, La Liga, and the Premier League.

Everyone remembers Pelé for his extraordinary goalscoring ability, but in his words, "Although many remember me for my goals, I often helped others to score. I have many more assists." Pele often played off the striker and paused to feed balls into the space for his ongoing attackers. At the 1970 World Cup, he recorded a record-breaking six assists.

Danish midfielder Michael Laudrup was described as a 'Magician' throughout his trophy-laden career due to his ability to find space anywhere on the pitch and find the tightest gap to slot a ball through any team's defense. He could pick a pass very few could see and still pull it off.

Zinedine Zidane was an extraordinary player, and his other first-class attributes masked his remarkable passing ability. The Frenchman's passing was exemplary with his instep and outside of the foot, making him practically four-footed. Zidane could beat three men and place a pinpoint pass with ease.

GiveMeSport reports that Juan Roman Riquelme, the former Argentine midfielder, called Toni Kroos the 'Roger Federer of football' because of his ridiculous ability to let the ball do the work. When he played, it seemed he never put a foot wrong and never gave the ball away.

Andrea Pirlo never looked like he had broken a sweat during his playing career. That's down to his ability to dictate the game with his passing range, which allowed him to dominate Italian football. Pirlo was always the most composed player on the pitch, registering 159 assists in his career.

During the late 2000s, FC Barcelona dominated world football with their Tiki-Taka football, and no one was more in tune than midfielder Sergio Busquets. The Blaugrana legend was never the best athlete, but his mind, vision, and ability allowed him to control the game like no one else.

Kevin De Bruyne has been the heartbeat of Manchester City's Premier League dominance in the past decade, with no player matching his disguised brilliance with the ball at his feet. The Belgian has recorded over 300 assists and has the world's best whipped low cross in football.

Paul Scholes was revered by some of the best players in history for his passing talent, with Ronaldinho once saying: "I want to pass like him." The 11-time Premier League winner could drop a pass on anyone's foot from any distance.

Xavi was the leading architect for Spain and FC Barcelona during both team's most successful spells. The midfielder had every range of passes and was the chief dictator in every game he played. He registered over 200 assists for club and country.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Lionel Messi is a magician on the pitch. He has mastered every skill and trait to the highest level, including his passing. In his 15 final seasons in European football, Messi recorded double-digit assist numbers in 12 of them. No one has matched his creative consistency.