Every goal has a backstory.
The scorer gets the headline, the assist provider gets a mention. But the decisive moment often happens one pass earlier: the through ball that splits the back line before the square pass sets up the goal.
That pass before the assist is the pre-assist. Without it there is no assist and no goal – yet it doesn't appear in any of the usual stats. We count it here: for every goal, every player and every league.
How we count pre-assistsBundesliga 2023/24
Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen) leads with 10 pre-assists – without a single assist of their own.
Behind: Jonas Hofmann (7) and Florian Wirtz (5).
Covers the 34 matches of Bayer Leverkusen. 53% of the goals in these matches had a pre-assist.
Full rankingPremier League 2015/16
Mesut Özil (Arsenal) leads with 8 pre-assists, plus 19 assists.
Behind: Harry Kane (7) and Alexis Sánchez (7).
988 goals were scored in 380 matches. 48% of them had a pre-assist.
Full rankingLa Liga 2015/16
Lionel Messi, Luka Modrić and Andrés Iniesta share the lead with 10 pre-assists each.
1,014 goals were scored in 380 matches. 52% of them had a pre-assist.
Full rankingSerie A 2015/16
Marek Hamšík (Napoli) leads with 15 pre-assists, more than assists (11).
Behind: Paul Pogba (9) and Franco Vázquez (8).
951 goals were scored in 380 matches. 46% of them had a pre-assist.
Full rankingLigue 1 2015/16
Ryad Boudebouz (Montpellier) leads with 9 pre-assists, plus 11 assists.
Behind: Ángel Di María (8) and Zlatan Ibrahimović (7).
916 goals were scored in 377 matches. 47% of them had a pre-assist.
Full rankingFrauen-Bundesliga 2023/24
Kristin Kögel (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen) leads with 7 pre-assists, more than assists (2).
Behind: Barbara Dunst (5) and Klara Bühl (4).
407 goals were scored in 132 matches. 39% of them had a pre-assist.
Full rankingValencia 3:0 Levante UD
La Liga 2015/16 · 80'
- Pre-assistRúben VezoHigh ball
- AssistJoão CanceloHigh ball
- GoalZakaria BakkalixG 0.03