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Many fine players, especially goalscorers, have graced the game since the turn of the century.
They have scored goals and won big titles galore. Some of them are still going strong for club and country, despite being on the wrong side of 30, winning multiple individual accolades along the way.
Many young goalscorers like Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe have emerged on the scene in the last few years. However, the duo have a long way to go to match the exploits of some of the game's other superstars.
On that note, here's a look at the five most prolific goalscorers in Europe's top five leagues (all competitions) since 2010:
#5 Luis Suarez - 307 goals
Luis Suarez is one of the most prolific active goalscorers of the last decade. Now at Atletico Madrid, the 35-year-old has enjoyed successful spells with Ajax, Liverpool and Barcelona.
It was with the Blaugrana where Suarez enjoyed the best spell of his career. He scored nearly 200 goals for them in six years, and won the continental treble, among other titles.
Deemed surplus to requirements at the end of the 2019-20 season, Suarez joined Atletico. He scored 21 league goals to lead them to their first La Liga title, and is up to seven strikes in the competition this campaign.
Suarez has also shone in international football. The all-time Uruguay top-scorer recently scored his 28th goal to become the most prolific South American goalscorer in FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
#4 Edinson Cavani - 332 goals
Edinson Cavani is another prolific goalscorer who has graced the game in the last decade.
The 34-year-old Manchester United striker started his career at Palermo in the 2000s before enjoying a successful spell at Napoli, where he scored 104 goals. That caught the attention of Ligue 1 giants PSG, who snapped up the Uruguayan in the summer of 2013.
Cavani enjoyed more success at the Parc des Princes, scoring exactly 200 goals to become their all-time top-scorer.
Now at United, the striker has netted 19 times across competitions since arriving at Old Trafford in the summer of 2020.
#3 Robert Lewandowski - 431 goals
Robert Lewandowski is a quintessential goal machine. One of the most prolific goalscorers in the game's history, the 33-year-old Pole has been on a tear, especially in the last few seasons.
In 2020-21, he scored 41 goals to break the late Gerd Muller's record of most goals (40) in a Bundesliga campaign. He is up to 23 for the season and 34 in all competitions.
Lewandowski, who scored 103 goals for Borussia Dortmund, has netted 328 times for Bayern Munich since arriving in Munich on a free transfer in the summer of 2014. Recently, he joined Muller (365) as the only players to score 300 goals in the Bundesliga.
The 2021 Ballon d'Or runner-up has won a continental treble with Bayern Munich. Seven of his nine Bundesliga titles have come with the Bavarian giants.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo - 552 goals
Cristiano Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the best players in the game's history.
Still going strong at the age of 36, the Portugal captain has scored over a century of goals with three top-five league teams. With 450 goals, Ronaldo is Real Madrid's all-time top-scorer.
The five-time Champions League and Ballon d'Or winner then spent a three-season spell at Juventus, scoring 101 times. Now back at Manchester United, he is up to 14 strikes across competitions for the season.
Recently, Ronaldo scored the 800th goal of his illustrious career with club and country.
With 115 strikes for Portugal, the Madeira native is the most prolific scorer in men's international football.
#1 Lionel Messi - 582 goals
Lionel Messi, like Ronaldo, is one of the best players to have played the beautiful game.
The Argentinian, a record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, scored a staggering 672 goals during a prolific 17-season stint with Barcelona. All but 576 of those strikes came since 2010.
Now at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the 34-year-old has struggled to replicate the same exploits, though, netting only six times across competitions. That includes just one strike in 12 Ligue 1 games.
Nevertheless, the Copa America 2021 winner will hope for a strong end to the season.
Messi will look to endear himself to the Parisian faithful by leading the club to their first Champions League title this season. PSG meet Real Madrid in the Round of 16, with the first leg on February 15.
