Silvestre eyes Pelé's assist record at World Cup 2026

Mikaël Silvestre, the French star, has emerged as the leading playmaker at the 2026 World Cup, notching five assists so far. This achievement places him in an elite group of World Cup legends, equaling the record for the most assists in a single tournament. He now stands on the brink of surpassing Brazilian icon Pelé's record of six assists from the 1970 Mexico World Cup, with France still competing in the tournament.

Silvestre's impressive tally ties him with historical figures such as Germany's Pierre Littbarski (1982), Argentina's Diego Maradona (1986), Germany's Thomas Häßler (1994), and Poland's Robert Gadocha (1974). The young French talent is now just one assist away from matching Pelé's long-standing record, a feat that appears within reach as France advances.

Behind Silvestre, a fierce competition is unfolding among players from various footballing nations. Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães and Moroccan attacker Brahim Díaz are each credited with four assists. With Brazil eliminated, Díaz is positioned as Silvestre's closest challenger, especially as Morocco has reached the quarterfinals.

A notable contingent of players follows with three assists each, including Mexico's Roberto Alvarado, Sweden's Alexander Isak, Norway's Martin Ødegaard, and Germany's Florian Wirtz. This highlights the high quality of offensive supply lines from European nations. The tournament also showcases a strong Arab presence, with players like Egypt's Mohamed Salah, Algeria's Houssem Aouar, Tunisia's Hannibal Mejbri, and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi each contributing two assists, reflecting the significant technical advancement of Arab teams on the global stage.

Other prominent players with two assists include France's Kylian Mbappé, Germany's Joshua Kimmich, England's Bukayo Saka, Switzerland's Joah Manzambi, Netherlands' Ryan Gravenberch, New Zealand's Chris Wood, and Senegal's Iliman Ndiaye. The high assist numbers in the current World Cup surpass those of recent tournaments like Qatar 2022 and Russia 2018, where top playmakers did not exceed three assists.