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We are in the twilight stage of the 2018-19 season as most of the big European leagues are over. However, the finals of the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the DFB Pokal are yet to be played. We have witnessed many breathtaking encounters throughout the course of the season as the heavyweights of Europe locked horns against each other both domestically and also on the European stage, and fought until nothing was left in their cylinder. Some dreams got new wings while some teams faced the harsh reality.
Manchester City, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-German and Bayern Munich, all came up on top of their respective leagues. This is the first time in several years that all the champions of the top five European leagues successfully defended their domestic crowns.
However, apart from the teamplay, there have been certain individuals in every team who has played the role of a difference-maker and performed as the stand-out player throughout the whole season.
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So, wasting no time, let's have a look at the top five performers in the world this season.
#5 Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
The 24-year-old English international played a key role in Manchester City’s unprecedented domestic treble winning campaign. He has found a new life under the management of Pep Guardiola and emerged as one of the best wingers in Europe.
The Jamaica-born English attacker racked up as many as 25 goals across all competitions and also provided 12 assists to his team-mates. Sterling has averaged two key passes every 90 minutes with a successful dribble completed stat of three, per match.
We all knew that the former Liverpool winger had all the ingredients to be the world’s best, but his lack of potency in front of goal haunted him many a times in the past. But since Guardiola took charge of the Citizens, Sterling’s career graph has only seen an upward push.
Sterling was awarded the Man of the Match award, owing to his brace and an assist in Manchester City’s 6-0 hammering of Watford in the final of FA Cup, and football pundits have heaped praise on the giant leap that Sterling has made in his career this season.
#4 Sadio Mané (Liverpool)
Sadio Mané of Liverpool is enjoying the best campaign of his life as the Senegal international finished the Premier League season as one of the three joint-winners of the Golden Boot, sharing the prestigious accolade with his teammate Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal, with each scoring 22 goals.
The former Southampton winger has popped up with crucial goals for the Reds every now and then throughout the season. Mané has already managed to net 26 goals in all competitions, with a game to spare.
Despite enduring a slow start to the season, Mané turned up the heat in the second half of the campaign and was involved in a sensational run of scoring 11 goals in 11 starts for the Reds.
Although, Mane’s brilliance was not quite enough to see Liverpool win their first Premier League crown since it’s refurbishment, but his individual brilliance has helped Jürgen Klopp and his men to make it through to the Champions League final for a second year running.
#3 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
The naturally-gifted 20-year-old Frenchman has emerged as one of the world’s best this season. Kylian Mbappe has performed week-in and week-out for the French giants. The way he took the mantle in Neymar’s absence was truly remarkable.
The World Cup winner with France is still in contention to win his first European Golden Shoe with 32 goals in 28 appearances in the Ligue 1, and is occupying the second position, only behind Lionel Messi, who has already finished his domestic league campaign with 36 goals to his name.
The French prodigy has netted 38 times for PSG across all competitions and has played an influential role in PSG’s cakewalk to league success for yet another season.
Although the failure to inspire PSG to their first Champions League glory somewhat ruined his campaign, but the maturity he has shown in such a young age is beyond belief.
Many believe that he is the next big thing in world football, and Mbappe has shown that he is ready to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.
#2 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool is the only defender who has made it to this list. The monstrous centre-back has been at the peak of his prowess this seaosn as he has almost single-handedly solved Liverpool’s backline issue.
Many regard him as the best defender in the world, and Van Dijk has played a huge role in reducing Lionel Messi’s threat in the Champions League as the Reds pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in history against Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final.
Forget about the Premier League, no player in Europe have successfully dribbled past the giant defender this season. His ability to win aerial balls have not only helped Liverpool defensively but it has also enabled him to chip in with important goals in the other half of the field.
The former Southampton defender has averaged nearly five clearances in every match for the Reds and has been as solid as a rock in the defence throughout.
In fact, if Liverpool manage to win the Champions League on 1st June, then in many eyes, the recently-crowned PFA Player of the Year will be the favourite to go on and lift this year’s Ballon d’Or.
#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi is occupying the first spot in this list. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is having one of the best seasons of his career in personal terms as he has looked unstoppable throughout the course of the campaign.
The Argentine wizard has helped Barcelona to lift their eighth La Liga title in the last 11 years, scoring 36 goals in the process. Messi has rescued Barcelona 18 points in La Liga this campaign, which certainly portrays a picture of his dominance. The blue-eyed-boy of Barcelona has also accomplished another 50-goal campaign, with one game still remaining.
The four-time Champions League winner is also leading the top scorers chart in Europe’s elite competition with 12 goals to his name, despite Barcelona going out of the semi-final stage in a bizarre manner against Liverpool.
Messi has topped almost every possible attacking stat in Europe for the Catalan giants. Although that one single blip at Anfield might have dented Messi’s chances of lifting this year’s most prestigious individual accolade, but you can’t argue with the fact that the Barcelona skipper has been the best individual performer in the world this season.
