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#3 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
Kylian Mbappe has been on fire since breaking onto the scene with Monaco during their Ligue 1-winning campaign in 2016-17. In 2017, Paris Saint-Germain signed the Frenchman for a whopping €180 million, with the deal initially starting off as a two-year loan.
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Last season, Mbappe scored an incredible 42 goals and dished out 13 assists in 49 games, tallying over one goal contribution per game. Mbappe seems to have a burning desire to top those figures this season.
He has scored 15 goals and provided 17 assists in just 24 games across competitions. That gives him an average goal contribution of 1.34 per game.
The Frenchman played a starring role in France's triumph at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He will hope to continue that form in next year's edition in Qatar. In club football, Mbappe will hope the addition of Lionel Messi will boost PSG's bid to win the UEFA Champions League this season.
#2 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Lionel Messi has, by far, been the best player in world football in the 21st century. After nearly two decades with Barcelona, Messi moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021 on a free transfer.
Last season for Barcelona, Messi scored 38 goals and provided 18 assists in 48 games. The Argentina captain carried his club in the absence of a strong and capable supporting cast. However, with his country, Messi had one of the best moments in his long and illustrious career.
Messi won the 2021 Copa America with Argentina, thanks to Angel Di Maria's solitary goal in the final against Brazil.
Lionel Messi has yet to hit his stride with PSG. So far he has made 16 appearances for the club, scoring six goals and assisting five. With a continental trophy under his belt, the legendary Argentine will have his sights set on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next year.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Mohamed Salah has been the best player in world football in 2021 by a distance. Having previously played for Chelsea in the Premier League, Salah had a rebirth of sorts at AS Roma. He has since returned to English shores, and dominated with Liverpool.
Last season, he scored 31 goals and provided seven assists in 52 games. This campaign, he has been a more well-rounded threat in attack. The Egyptian has scored 22 goals this season, and has also hit double figures for assists (11). He has achieved that in just 25 games, taking his average goal contribution per game to an impressive 1.32 this season.
This season, Salah became the first Liverpool player since the iconic Ian Rush to score more than 20 goals for the club in five successive seasons.
The Egyptian will now travel to Ivory Coast to play in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. On his return, he will look to continue from where he left off as Liverpool eye their second Premier League title in three years. He will also hope to create a splash in Europe.
