Whether you are new to European football or have been following the league for years, you probably already know that there will be disagreements over who the best players are right now. Football pundits, betting sites, and ardent fans all have different opinions on who they think should top the list. That being said, most people agree that these nine footballers are some of the elite players in the sport today.
Robert Lewandowski
Even though Lewandowski is 32, he is one of the best players in European football. His side, Bayern Munich, saw him finish last season with 55 goals in just 47 appearances, an incredible statistic that has rarely been achieved. He is only the second player in history to finish top scorer in all three national competitions, the first being Johan Cruyff in 1972, almost 50 years ago. He is currently at the peak of his career, which bodes well for his team for the next few years.
Lionel Messi
Messi hasn’t had a good season in 2020, and in fact it was probably one of the worst of his career. However, even as poorly as he played, he is still the second best player – and highest paid player – in the world. The Barcelona forward has scored more goals than any other player in Spain, which means that even at his worst, he is still far superior to any other player. There is no doubt that Messi is on the decline in his playing days, at least compared to his spectacular former self, but at 33 he may still be able to play at a high level for several more seasons.
Like Messi, Ronaldo faces a natural decline in his footballing career, and 2020 was an indication that the inevitable decline is underway. Despite this, Ronaldo, who is 35, took home his second Serie A winners’ medal as a Juventus forward, but it was really the highlight of the season for the elite player. His team lost the Coppa Italia final and didn’t even reach the last eight of the Champions League. That being said, he still set a Serie A record for scoring in 11 consecutive matches and he scored his 100th goal for Portugal, two milestones reserved for the best of the best. In fact, he is the only European male footballer to reach the 100 goal mark in international matches.
Sadio Mane
Mane, 28, is a dangerous player capable of scoring every time he touches the ball. His game directly led to Liverpool’s first league title in 30 years and their conquest of the Club World Cup. His 18 goals and seven assists helped Liverpool win their 19th League Championship with relative ease. Even though Mane’s stats are somewhat unremarkable compared to others on this list, the goals he scored were at absolutely critical times, including the last-minute game winner at Aston Villa. The timeliness of his contributions makes him an invaluable part of the Liverpool squad.
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