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Europe's footballing legacy is almost unmatched. The continent has housed some of the greatest players to have worn cleats and taken to the field. South America and Africa are just as prominent but European football, due to its unmatched reach, has become popular all over the world.
Top European football clubs are some of the most popular sporting teams in the world. The English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A are together known as Europe's top 5 leagues. These leagues are and have been home to some of the greatest footballers on the planet.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best European footballers in the world right now.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne - Belgium/Manchester City
Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne has truly established himself as one of the greatest midfielders of the modern era. We have run out of superlatives to describe the Belgian international who seems capable of pulling off the unthinkable in terms of playmaking.
De Bruyne's vision is unparalleled. He has the vision to see runs and movements that ordinary players won't and also has the technical ability to execute passes that are bang on the money. He has been the difference maker for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City over the past six seasons.
The 30-year-old also packs a vicious shot and can go hell for leather with either foot. So not only can he cause entire defences to collapse, he can also fire them into the corner no matter on which side he receives the ball.
In the 2020-21 season, De Bruyne scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists from 40 appearances across all competitions for the Cityzens. At the recently concluded Euro 2020, De Bruyne scored one goal and provided two assists from four matches for Belgium.
#4 Kylian Mbappe - France/Paris Saint-Germain
Kylian Mbappe is just 22-years-old but it feels like he has been around breaking defenders' ankles and sending them for sandwiches for a very long time. He has been world-class since he first broke onto the scene as an exciting attacker for AS Monaco in the 2016-17 season.
His blistering pace, quick feet and composure in front of goal have rendered him a nightmare to go toe-to-toe against. In 2018, Mbappe played a starring role as France went on to become world champions.
He has also been clocking incredible numbers for both club and country ever since. Although he had a largely forgettable Euro 2020, there is no questioning his ability and potential. In the 2020-21 season, Mbappe scored 42 goals and provided 12 assists in 47 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain across all competitions.
#3 Harry Kane - England/Tottenham Hotspur
Harry Kane is not only one of the best strikers in world football but he is also one of the most well-rounded footballers in the world at the moment. Yet to win a major trophy with both club and country, one would be well-advised not to judge Kane by his trophy haul.
The Englishman has been operating at a level of his own. In the 2020-21 season, Kane won both the Premier League Golden Boot and the Playmaker award. He topped both the goalscoring chart (23 goals) and the assists chart (14 assists).
He scored 33 goals and provided 17 assists in 49 appearances across all competitions for Spurs in the 2020-21 season. After a dull outing in the group stages of Euro 2020, Kane sprang to life in the knockout stages of the tournament.
He scored four goals in the knockout stages as England fell to Italy in the final of the continental competition on penalties.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Juventus
Yet another player we've run out of words to sing praises about, Cristiano Ronaldo, continues to silence his critics and detractors even at the age of 36. Having lost a yard of pace in recent times, Ronaldo took stock of the situation and evolved from a winger to a striker.
It is a decision that has worked out well for him. Ronaldo scored a total of 36 goals and provided four assists in 44 appearances across all competitions for Juventus in the 2020-21 season. He won the Serie A Golden Boot in the 2020-21 season and was also the recipient of the Euro 2020 Golden Boot with five goals from four games.
Ronaldo has won five Ballons d'Or in his career and only Lionel Messi has won more, with six to his name. The Portuguese international is the perfect example of how hard work and determination pays off. He has always been willing to take on challenges. That's why he has won the league in three different countries.
#1 Robert Lewandowski - Poland/Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker of his generation and has every right to feel robbed off the Ballon d'Or in 2020. The award was canceled last year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Bayern Munich striker was miles ahead of his competition last term.
He was Bayern Munich's lynchpin as they won the continental treble in the 2019-20 season. But Lewandowski put his Ballon d'Or disappointment behind him and kicked on in the same vein in the 2020-21 season.
He made just 27 appearances for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last term. But that proved to be enough for him to break Gerd Muller's record of 40 goals in a 38 match Bundesliga season. Lewandowski scored 41 goals in the German top flight in the 2020-21 season.
The 32-year-old scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians this past season. At Euro 2020, he scored three goals in three games for Poland but his exploits weren't enough to help them progress to the knockout stages.
