Europe is widely regarded as the main hub and gold standard of domestic football for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, the continent boasts a rich history of the sport, with countries like England, Spain, Italy and Germany having established some of the world's most iconic clubs and leagues.
These nations have not only invested heavily in infrastructure and talent development but also have a passionate fan base that creates an unmatched atmosphere at matches.
Europe's football leagues also attract top talent from around the globe, making them highly competitive and ensuring a high level of play.
The UEFA Champions League, an annual competition featuring the best clubs from Europe, is another testament to the continent's supremacy. Young footballers dream of playing in Europe and it's quite simply the pinnacle of domestic football.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best players in Europe so far this season (2023-24).
#5 Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
If there were any doubts about how well Harry Kane would fare in the Bundesliga, he has done a great job of putting them to rest in the early stages of the new season. Kane has been absolutely relishing his time at Bayern Munich so far and has been one of their best players this term.
He has scored eight goals and provided four assists in seven Bundesliga appearances for the Bavarians so far this season. Kane is one of the finest strikers of his generation and looks to be the perfect replacement for Robert Lewandowski, although he arrived a season later than he should have.
#4 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah might not be at the peak of his powers but his ability to consistently affect the outcome of games is basically unmatched. In fact, it is this ability of his that has been the major difference maker for Liverpool in their successes under Jurgen Klopp.
It's rare for Salah to finish a game without having scored or assisted a goal. While his goalscoring prowess and ball-progression skills are often lauded, playmaking continues to be a severely underrated part of his game.
Salah has turned up for Liverpool in almost every single match they've played so far this season. In eight Premier League appearances for Liverpool so far this term, the 31-year-old has scored five goals and provided four assists.
#3 Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
After being a central figure in Inter Milan's run to the final of the UEFA Champions League last season, Martinez has kicked off the new campaign in style. He has upped the ante this term and has been scoring goals and wreaking havoc like a gifted striker playing in his prime.
Martinez has scored 10 goals and provided two assists in eight Serie A appearances for Inter Milan so far this term. Only one striker has scored more goals than Martinez across Europe's top five leagues so far in the 2023-24 season.
#2 Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart)
27-year-old Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy has already scored more goals this season than he has in any campaign previously in his career. Guirassy has astounded everyone with his composure and finishing and is the hottest striker in Europe right now.
He has scored a whopping 13 goals in seven Bundesliga appearances so far this season for Stuttgart. Thanks to his incredible goalscoring form, Stuttgart sit second in the Bundesliga table, above Bayern Munich. If the Guinea international can keep this up, he will have a career-defining campaign.
#1 Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Jude Bellingham has taken to life at Real Madrid like a fish to water. It's quite remarkable that a 20-year-old has just arrived at one of the biggest clubs in the world and turned in multiple match-winning performances in his early days there.
Bellingham, rather surprisingly, has been Real Madrid's main goalscoring outlet so far this season. He has been making a difference both in midfield as well as the final third for Los Blancos.
Bellingham has scored eight goals and provided two assists for Real Madrid in eight La Liga appearances so far this season.