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The competition for the best player accolade never seems to cease, as more talents emerge every year to showcase their skills across the world. From every corner of the continent, the fans love witnessing amazing gameplay and their various abilities.
As the 2018/19 campaign has begun, we have already seen some thrilling games and this season certainly promises plenty of drama and passion from previous years gone by. There are players who have stood out for their respective sides, with this article taking a look at Europe's best forwards on current form.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.
#5 Eden Hazard
Having enjoyed an impressive World Cup campaign with his native Belgium side this summer, Chelsea winger Eden Hazard is in the best form of his life. The 27-year-old has scored two and assisted another two goals in just four league games, with the Blues aiming high under new management with Maurizio Sarri at the helm this term.
Hazard's sheer pace and insane dribbling skills help him skip past defenders with ease, while he is arguably the Premier League's most clinical winger at present.
Although he is yet to sign a new contract with the Blues, a move away from Stamford Bridge could fail to materialise - as he has verbally agreed to sign a new deal, should they qualify for Champions League football and show drastic improvement from last season's failures under Antonio Conte.
After a lacklustre showing across England's top-flight and among Europe's elite last term, Chelsea were able to manage an FA Cup triumph - little consolation for Conte - who was sacked in July.
As a result, the club's star players were heavily linked with transfers away - not least Hazard, who continues to attract interest from Champions League holders Real Madrid. First-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois joined Los Blancos, while Eden and Willian have remained.
Hazard does not have a lot of years left at his peak and you can understand his eagerness to finish his career with silverware in another of Europe's top leagues, such as Spain. His quality is undeniable and boasts world-class skills, so it's no surprise that supporters and critics alike expect plenty from him.
#4 Karim Benzema
Surprisingly, the Frenchman looks in unbelievable form so far this season, something the Madridistas aren't familiar with. People thought Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the Bernabeú would result in a downward spiral in Benzema's abilities.
Instead, the 30-year-old has been sensational since the Portuguese international left for Juventus this summer - netting four goals in three matches, with Real playing more as a team since the departure of their talisman.
He appears to be determined this season and his conversion rate in the three games he's played, commendable. Could this be the beginning of a new, yet short-lived, era of Benzema's excellence, considering age is no longer on his side?
#3 Sadio Mané
Words struggle to truly describe Mane's talent and determination, as the African is a gem of a player.
His partnership alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino has been sensational, with the trio scoring 50+ goals in one single Premier League campaign. Their Champions League form has been on a similar level too.
This season, he has already netted four goals in four matches - whereas he only scored ten goals in 29 games last term. Although Firmino and Salah outperformed him in the goals department, it looks increasingly like this season is one where Mane flourishes more than his attacking teammates.
#2 Neymar Jr
After a controversial yet record-breaking move to PSG last summer, Neymar has flourished ever since. Despite sustaining a foot fracture in February this year, he netted 28 goals and created 15 assists (all comps) in 30 matches prior to that.
Having been knocked out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage by Belgium, the 26-year-old has kicked off his season fairly well. So far, he has scored four and created more in Ligue 1 - having already replaced Edinson Cavani as the club's talisman, it's clear that his partnership alongside Kylian Mbappé and the Uruguayan continues to blossom.
After a frustrating defeat over two legs against Real in the last-16 last season, fans expect him and his teammates to achieve far better Champions League knockout results than they have in recent seasons. With such an impressive squad, they are a genuine threat to any opposition and one where their frontline can prove menacing for any defence to deal with.
#1 Lionel Messi
Considered the Greatest of all-time by many, Lionel Messi continues to excel and remain the star of the show every season. His countless abilities never seem to deteriorate, as he has been the most consistent player across Europe for a few seasons now.
In just three La Liga matches so far, he has scored four and created two more goals too - making him top this list of Europe's best forwards right now. His impressive playmaking skills and incredible pace with the ball is a persistent threat that defenders struggle to deal with.
Lionel has been in top form for more than a decade now and a Golden Shoe again to his name to end the 2018/19 campaign appears fairly likely.
