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#3 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is currently one of the brightest prospects in the footballing world and has been the most consistent performer in French football since making his professional debut in 2015.
Following a sparkling performance at the 2016 UEFA Euro U19 Championship, the Frenchman earned a call-up to the senior side in 2017. Mbappe represented France in his first major international tournament at the 2018 World Cup and was immensely critical to Les Bleus' memorable campaign.
Then-19-year-old Mbappe became the youngest goalscorer for France in a World Cup match, and his goal against Croatia in the World Cup finals made him only the second teenager to score in a WC final. The first one to do so was the legendary Pele against Sweden at the 1958 World Cup. The Frenchman would go on to score 4 goals and provide an assist from 7 appearances.
The 22-year old enjoyed one of his best seasons individually in club football during the 2020-21 campaign. In 47 appearances across all competitions last season, Mbappe was involved in 53 goals (42 goals, 11 assists). This included a hat-trick in the Round of 16 stage to knock Barcelona out of the 2020-21 Champions League campaign, followed by a brace against Bayern Munich in the quarters.
#2 Lionel Messi
After a tumultuous 2020-21 footballing season at Camp Nou, Lionel Messi finally laid hands on his first-ever international trophy for Argentina's senior side.
The Argentine wizard emerged as the tournament's joint top-scorer, with 4 goals to his name. Messi also chipped in with 5 assists, registering an involvement in 9 out of the 13 goals (69.2%) scored by Argentina in this year's Copa America. Prior to this, Albiceleste's iconic No. 10 guided the national team to three Copa America finals and one World Cup finals.
While the Copa America was Messi's first major trophy for the senior side, he has played a crucial role in Argentina's victory at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is also one of the few elite footballers to have won an Olympic Gold, when he took home the medal at the 2008 Games in China.
In 151 appearances for Argentina, Messi has notched up an impressive tally of 76 goals and 53 assists. The 34-year old's exploits at Barcelona are well documented, where he holds the record for most appearances and most goals in the club's illustrious history. La Pulga has generated a stupendous return of 672 goals and 288 assists in 778 appearances for Blaugrana.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar has arguably been the most consistent performer in club and international football over the past decade.
Cristiano Ronaldo has had an incredible return of 109 goals from 179 appearances for the national side and is currently joint-highest in the all-time international goalscorers' chart. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been an exceptional leader for his country in the international arena, playing an indispensable role in Portugal's 2016 European glory. Ronaldo tallied three goals and as many assists from seven appearances at Euro 2016.
The 36-year has showcased a host of impressive performances for the national side, including hat-tricks against Sweden in a crucial World Cup qualifier and Switzerland in the Nations League semi-finals. Cristiano Ronaldo has also won every major accolade he's competed for in club football, when he represented some of the biggest European powerhouses such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for most goals and assists, including a host of essential contributions in the Champions League's knockout stages. The five-time Champions League winner holds the distinction of being the most capped player in the CL knockout stages (34) and is also the highest goalscorer in CL finals (four).
Ronaldo has found himself on the scoresheet 25 times in 22 quarter-final appearances and 13 times in 21 semi-final encounters.
