'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2021-22 season drew to a close towards the end of May. It's been a riveting campaign on several counts. The Premier League and Serie A title races were alive until the final day of the season. Real Madrid pulled off some blockbuster victories on their way to Champions League glory.
Several top European teams stumbled along the way, while several others stepped up to have memorable seasons. While we've seen plenty of new stars emerging on the scene, some of the stalwarts have only gone on to prove why they're the cream of the crop.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top seven players in Europe this season according to ratings (2021-22).
#7 Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig) - 7.64
Christopher Nkunku has had a senational season for RB Leipzig this term. The Frenchman operates almost like a false nine for the Bundesliga outfit. But his movement and instincts befit a striker and the 24-year-old can be an elusive presence in the final third.
He scored 20 goals and provided 13 assists in 34 Bundesliga appearances in the 2021-22 season. Nkunku has generated plenty of interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe after what has been nothing short of a breakout season for him.
#6 Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) - 7.64
Manchester City pipped an extremely competitive Liverpool side to the Premier League title once again. Several of their players were firing on all cylinders, but Kevin De Bruyne has once again been their chief difference maker this term.
The Belgium international was at his imperious best in the second half of the season. He started arriving in the box a lot more frequently and was also conducting play with the sort of authority we've only seen from some of the best to ever do it.
De Bruyne scored 15 goals and provided eight assists in 30 Premier League appearances. He was also named the 'Premier League Player of the Season'.
#5 Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain) - 7.65
Neymar Jr. missed close to three months of action this term due to various injury and fitness issues. He was even booed by the PSG faithful on the back of their elimination from the Champions League Round of 16 at the hands of Real Madrid.
But Neymar proved his mettle yet again in the closing stages of the season. He turned on the style and played some great football which was characteristically easy on the eye.
In 22 Ligue 1 appearances, Neymar scored 13 goals and provided six assists.
#4 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) - 7.69
It's a bit strange to see Karim Benzema in fourth on this list as he was simply a cut above the rest over the course of the season across all competitions. Benzema was phenomenal for Real Madrid this term and had the best campaign of his career at an individual level.
Not only did he lead from the front in their triumphant run in La Liga, but he also produced some mesmerising performances to propel Real Madrid to European glory.
Benzema scored 27 goals and provided 12 assists in 32 La Liga appearances this season.
#3 Lionel Messi - 7.77
Lionel Messi had a bit of an underwhelming debut season in Ligue 1 by his own lofty standards. That statement would be wrong if we gauged him by the standards of us mere mortals. Sure, Messi was in poor goalscoring form this term but he fared well as a creator behind the prolific Kylian Mbappe.
Messi scored six goals and provided 14 assists in 26 Ligue 1 appearances this season. He finished second on the Ligue 1 assists chart this term and will be motivated to silence his critics in the next one.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 7.89
Robert Lewandowski continues to be the most prolific striker across Europe's top five leagues. The Poland international has just signed off on yet another brilliant season at an individual level.
The Bavarians will be gutted after getting eliminated from the Champions League quarter-finals by Villarreal after being widely viewed as one of the favorites. Lewandowski did a good job across all competitions and was nearly unstoppable in the Bundesliga this term.
In 34 German top flight appearances this term, he scored 35 goals and provided three assists.
#1 Kylian Mbappe - 8.04
Kylian Mbappe, who recently renewed his contract with PSG until 2025, had yet another stellar campaign. He has well and truly established himself as the next big thing in football and has been an absolute treat to watch on the pitch this term.
The 23-year-old terrorized opponents with his pace, movement, trickery, composure and finishing this season. Simply put, Mbappe was miles ahead of his peers in the French top-flight in terms of productivity and quality.
In 35 appearances, he scored 28 goals and provided 17 assists and is arguably the finest attacker in the game right now. He won the 'Ligue 1 Player of the Season' award for a third successive season as well.
