Europe has been home to some of the greatest talents in the history of the beautiful game. At the domestic level, the standard of football in Europe is unmatched. That’s because most of the biggest and most popular clubs in the world belong to the continent.
The best players in the world ply their trade in Europe despite hailing from other continents. Countries like Germany, Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, England, Netherlands etc. have great footballin pedigree and are absolute powerhouses in the world of football.
They have and continue to produce world-class footballers and some of the most talented and recognizable talents in the world.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at five of the best European footballers in the world right now (October 2022).
#5 Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema is the odds-on favorite to win the Ballon d’Or this year. The Frenchman was simply a cut above the rest in the 2021-22 season as he helped Real Madrid win the La Liga and Champions League titles.
Benzema is one of the most well-rounded centre-forwards of his generation and possesses the ability to come up clutch when his team needs him the most. The 34-year-old has established himself as the main man at Real Madrid right now and is likely to play a huge role in their La Liga title defense this term.
He has not been at his best in the new season though, having scored just four goals and provided one assist in eight appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Kylian Mbappe has already achieved so much in the world of football at the age of 23. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is one of the most lethal forwards around and has consistently notched up spectacular numbers every season.
He has already won five league titles and was the top scorer and top assist provider in Ligue 1 in the 2021-22 campaign. The Frenchman is a menacing presence on the pitch courtesy of his blistering pace, exquisite dribbling and shooting range.
Mbappe is tipped to go onto become an all-time great and the way he is going, he is going to take some stopping. In 11 appearances across all competitions for PSG so far this season, Mbappe has scored 11 goals.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Barcelona)
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the most complete striker of his generation. He is also one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time and has managed to score at least 20 goals in every single season since the 2014-15 campaign.
He picked up the European Golden Shoe in the last two seasons and was nearly unstoppable in attack for Bayern Munich over the past several years. Lewandowski moved to Barcelona this summer and by virtue of his sheer talent, he has taken to La Liga like a fish to water.
He has already scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 10 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich so far this season.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne has firmly established himself as the best attacking midfielder in the game right now. The Belgium international is a force to be reckoned with in midfield and possesses a great deal of game intelligence, unreal vision and an astounding passing range.
He is also adept at contributing goals from midfield. De Bruyne is simply a dream to play with for his teammates as he has the ability to pick them out with precise passes from anywhere on the pitch. He is tearing it up in the Premier League this term and has been in peak playmaking form.
De Bruyne has scored one goal and provided 10 assists in 11 appearances across all competitions for City so far this term. He is also Belgium’s main man heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#1 Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
Erling Haaland is without a doubt the most in-form footballer in Europe right now. The 22-year-old is one of the best strikers we’ve seen in recent times and is quite simply a phenomenal footballer. He copped a move to Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund this summer and has taken the Premier League by storm.
Haaland has scored a whopping 19 goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances across all competitions for the Cityzens this term. He has already scored three Premier League hat-tricks in his first eight appearances for the club.
The fact that he is still so young and has way more than a decade of football to play is quite incredible. It’s rather unfortunate that we won’t be seeing Haaland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this year as Norway failed to qualify for the tournament.