Vinícius Jr Shatters Lionel Messi’s Knockout Assist Record In Historic Feat

The Brazilian provided an assist for Kylian Mbappé during the 4-3 second-leg defeat on 15 April, a result that confirmed a 6-4 aggregate exit for the Spanish side.

According to HITC, Vinícius now has 13 assists in 41 Champions League knockout appearances, moving ahead of Messi’s 12 assists from 77 matches. However, he remains behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads with 15 assists from 85 knockout games.

The 25-year-old winger has already won two Champions League titles with Real Madrid, while Messi has four and Ronaldo holds five, including four with Madrid and one with Manchester United. Vinícius is widely expected to challenge Ronaldo’s record if his current form continues.

The match, however, was overshadowed by controversy late on, following Eduardo Camavinga’s red card.

Josip Stanišić argued that Camavinga should not have been sent off and questioned the referee’s decision after Real Madrid were reduced to ten men.

At the time, Madrid were leading 3-2 in the 62nd minute when coach Álvaro Arbeloa introduced Camavinga to stabilise the midfield. The French midfielder received a yellow card for a late tackle and was later dismissed in the 86th minute for delaying a restart.

Bayern capitalised on the numerical advantage, with goals from Luis Díaz and Michael Olise securing their place in the next round.

Speaking to MadridZone, Stanišić said the referee may not have realised Camavinga was already booked before issuing the second yellow, adding that the decision changed the course of the match.

The sending-off also echoed last season’s quarter-final against Arsenal, where Camavinga was dismissed in a heavy defeat, highlighting a recurring issue in Madrid’s knockout struggles.