Top 5 players from smaller footballing nations

#3 Alphonso Davies (Canada/Bayern Munich)

Alphonso Davies in action for Bayern Munich

Alphonso Davies burst onto the scene as a youngster at Bayern Munich after his transfer from the MLS in 2018. The Canadian has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best left-backs in the world.

Still only 20-years-old, Davies has gone from strength to strength at Bayern Munich and has made the left-back role his own. Davies's incredible pace and physical attributes combined with his ability on the ball allows the defender to put in a shift no matter where he plays.

The Canadian can play on either flank, and has also been deployed as a wide-forward on occasions.

During his short stint at Bayern Munich so far, Davies has won the Bundesliga twice and the UEFA Champions League once.

The Canadian was also chosen in the 2020 UEFA Team of the Year and in the FIFPro World XI last season, and it wouldn't come as a surprise if this isn't the last time we see Davies chosen for those accolades.

Alphonso Davies put the world on notice with an unreal performance for Bayern at Chelsea on this day last year.Since then he's helped win a sextuple 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆And been named in the FIFPro World XI.Not bad for a 20-year-old 🌟 pic.twitter.com/zsoMzItHGH

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 25, 2021

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#2 Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Armenia/Roma)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has rejuvenated his career at Roma

No other player on this list is as distinguished for their country as Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian captain is basically royalty in his home country because of his footballing ability.

Mkhitaryan has been named the Armenian Footballer of the Year ten times in his career. The midfielder is the all-time leading scorer for his country and has also been named the CIS Footballer of the Year twice in his career.

Mkhitaryan's exploits for Borussia Dortmund also earned the midfielder the Bundesliga Players' Player of the Year award for the 2015-16 season.

Mkhitaryan struggled during his time in the Premier League, but the midfielder has revived his career since moving to Roma.

Mkhitaryan has bagged an impressive nine goals and eight assists in 21 Serie A games this season and has been one of Roma's most important players.

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#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in action for Arsenal

In terms of pure goalscoring ability, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is amongst the best footballers of the last decade. The Gabon captain has been prolific for every club he has played for over his career.

The Arsenal skipper started out as a winger but was soon converted into an out-and-out striker due to his pace, positioning and finishing ability. Although Aubameyang has only won a handful of domestic cups during his career, the Gabonese hitman has earned himself plenty of individual accolades over the years.

During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Aubameyang won the Bundesliga Player of the Season and top-scorer awards, and was also named the African Footballer of the Year.

Since joining Arsenal, Aubameyang has won the Premier League Golden Boot once and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2019-20 season. The striker has also been named in the IFFHS CAF Men's Team of the Decade for 2011-2020.

Aubameyang is a once-in-a-lifetime player and it is unlikely that his country will ever produce a talent like him again.

Two constants with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: availability and goals.If you give him something to hit, he will probably find a bottom corner. Three years and Aubameyang hasn't let Arsenal down yet. pic.twitter.com/Bk7oCZs2Ah

— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) February 26, 2021