Although you may not be a die-hard football fan, there must’ve been some football players names that flash across your phones, TVs and newspapers very often. It’s always interesting to discuss which players are the best in their sport and it’s safe to say almost every child, teenager and adult are aware about the fundamental rules of football.
It’s such a universal sport and you’ll find that you may be more familiar with leagues such as Champions League, players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and awards such as the Ballon D’or, whether you’re actually a footie fan or not. So, let’s look at some of the top players that were rated best in European football in 2019.
1 – Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe plays for Paris-Saint Germain and France and is nothing less of a prodigy. Only 20 years old, Mbappe continues to normalise an abnormal level of excellence from such a young player. He is the face of the next generation of footballers, it seems that it is only a matter of years before the young player wins his first Ballon d’Or. With a world cup under his belt already, it already seems destiny that he will have one of the most decorated careers in recent times.
2 – Lionel Messi
Almost every person who knows anything about football at all, knows two names – Ronaldo and Messi. Lionel Messi plays for FC Barcelona and Argentina and has the most goals in many football leagues such as La Liga, the Champions League, etc. He is a lightning-fast dribbler and is dominant in every way. Having almost reached 40 goals already for Barcelona this season in all competitions with nearly 20 assists to add to his tally, Lionel Messi has been head and shoulders above the rest this season.
3 – Virgil Van Dijk
Van Dijk plays for Liverpool and Netherlands and has undergone a truly monumental rise to prominence since joining Liverpool and, in 2019, took that dominance to new heights. He is labelled as the “World’s Best Defender” and many sports pundits believe that he was hugely impacted Liverpools victory, leading to their sixth Champions League cup. Danny Murphy, ex Liverpool star, claims: “He (van Dijk) has made the biggest impact on a team in the Premier League, he has been huge and it’s hard to believe how much Liverpool’s defence has improved since his arrival. His leadership qualities make him the full package as a footballer, there’s not a weakness to his game”. This proves how vital Van Dijk is to his team which obviously makes him a world class player.
4 – Eden Hazard
Hazard has yet to begin playing for Real Madrid as he left Chelsea this summer. He is also captain of the Belgian team and with 16 goals and 11 assists to his name, Hazard has shown why he was hotly desired by Real Madrid. Although it was a disappointing season for the Belgian’s club, his talent and influence on the game remains undeniable. For the first time in his career Eden Hazard played in a European final and cracked more than 20 goals in a season at Chelsea.
5 – Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo plays for Juventus and Portugal and although he faced a mixed season after his move from Real Madrid to Juventus, a mixed season for Ronaldo is better than a good season for most and he is still competing for the top goalscorer award in Serie A, as well as being the top assist provider in the Italian league as well. He will undoubtedly continue to improve and adapt to Juventus’s style of playing, and hopefully this season would prove to be a transitional one.