Messi grows legend with assist prowess in Argentina’s win over Angola

Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi (center) vies for the ball against Angola’s Sacalumbo Francisco (left) and Gaspar Kialonda during the friendly match between Angola and Argentina in Luanda on November 14, 2025.

Julio Pacheco Ntela / AFP

NEW YORK, United States – Lionel Messi has spent nearly two decades weaving himself into Argentina’s soccer identity, but even at 38, he continues to find new ways to expand his legend.

His latest act came in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Angola on Friday (Saturday, Manila time), where he delivered yet another moment of vintage brilliance — this time while strengthening one of the most productive partnerships of the Albiceleste’s modern era.

With a single, perfectly measured pass in the 43rd minute, Messi slipped the ball into space for Lautaro Martínez, who finished sharply to give Argentina the lead. It was a familiar sight: two world champions connecting with effortless chemistry, another snapshot of the nation’s ongoing golden era.

But there was something historic hidden in that simple exchange.

The assist was Messi’s ninth to Martínez — matching the Argentine captain’s personal record for most assists to a single player. Only Gonzalo Higuaín and Sergio Agüero, Messi’s longtime strike partners during the previous generation, have ever been on the receiving end of as many.

With one more pass leading to a Martínez goal, the duo could stand alone in Argentina’s record books.

Postponed friendly delays the next chapter

The chance to break the tie will have to wait. Argentina’s friendly against Australia, originally scheduled for November 17, was postponed, leaving the Angola match as Messi’s lone outing during the November window.

Messi made the most of it.

Beyond the milestone assist, the superstar added a goal of his own in the 82nd minute, a curling strike that pushed his tally to 115 international goals in 187 appearances. It was a reminder that while the statistical markers continue to pile up, Messi remains as decisive as ever.

At the final whistle, he left the pitch with a smile — another night of numbers, yes, but more importantly, another example of his enduring ability to change games.

A partnership rooted in trust and triumph

Messi and Martínez’s bond has grown steadily since the Inter striker emerged as Argentina’s No. 9. Together, they navigated the heartbreak of early Copa América exits, then fueled the renaissance that lifted Argentina to Copa América 2021, ending a 28-year title drought; Finalissima in 2022 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Their scoring-and-assisting balance has been at the heart of Argentina’s most successful stretch in generations.

With more international fixtures coming next year, the record they now share with Agüero and Higuaín feels less like a destination than a waypoint.

Focus shifts back to MLS title chase

Messi now returns to the United States, where Inter Miami is deep in its own high-stakes journey. The Herons advanced past Nashville SC in their best-of-three Round One series in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, setting up an Eastern Conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati on November 23 (November 24 Manila time).

The stakes are enormous — not only because Miami is eyeing its first conference final appearance, but because Messi is positioned to become the first ever back-to-back MLS MVP.

He enters the semifinal in blistering form, with 20 goal contributions in his last eight matches for club and country. Miami, under head coach Javier Mascherano, carries the second-best title odds at +400, trailing only the Philadelphia Union at +350 at Bovada, the best soccer betting in Gambling Nerd.

Another year, another record within reach

For Messi, the calendar year ends not with a trophy celebration or dramatic World Cup qualifiers, but with something subtler: a quiet milestone shared with a teammate who has become one of his most trusted partners.

When Argentina regroup in 2025, the first question will naturally be whether Messi and Martínez can break their three-way tie atop the assist charts. But the larger story remains the same: even after conquering everything imaginable, Messi continues to write, revise and expand the legacy that has defined a generation.

And, as Friday’s match proved once again, he rarely writes these chapters alone.