As we hit the midpoint of the decade, GOAL picks out the top performers from the continent based on statistics, trophies and overall impact
We're officially halfway through the 2020s, so we at GOAL thought this would be a most opportune time to look back on the past five years of European football action.
It's obviously been quite the decade so far for Real Madrid, who have added two more Champions League titles to extend their overall tally to 15, but both Bayern Munich and Manchester City have pulled off historic trebles, while Liverpool also made history by winning a first English title for 30 years.
Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain have continued to dominate in France, while Inter have emerged as a major force in Italy – even if Napoli's 2023 Scudetto triumph was the biggest story in Serie A for years.
But who have been the best players to have graced Europe's 'Big Five' leagues since January 1, 2020? GOAL reveals its all-star selection below, with our picks based on statistics, trophies and overall impact…
AFPGK: Thibaut Courtois
Sixteen goalkeepers have kept more than 60 clean sheets since the start of 2020, but Thibaut Courtois has the best save percentage of the lot of them (76.5). The Belgian has also won two Champions Leagues in the past three seasons, and his performance in the final of the former triumph, a 1-0 win over Liverpool in 2022, ranks as one of the finest displays of shot-stopping in the tournament's history.
Honourable mentions: Alisson Becker, Ederson, Jan Oblak, Mike Maignan, Yann Sommer, Emiliano Martinez.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportRB: Dani Carvajal
Amid all of the controversy caused by Vinicius Jr's pathetic hissy fit over not winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or, it was forgotten that Real Madrid team-mate Dani Carvajal actually had more reason to feel unfairly overlooked. As well as producing his usual level of consistency throughout a double-winning campaign for Los Blancos, the under-rated right-back also scored the crucial opener in the Champions League final win over Borussia Dortmund – before then going on to help Spain win the European Championship. So, while Carvajal may not get the individual recognition he deserves, his medal haul speaks for itself: the man's won 12 cups since 2020 alone!
Honourable mentions: Achraf Hakimi, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jules Kounde.
Getty ImagesCB: Antonio Rudiger
Rudiger has won the Champions League with two different clubs (Chelsea and Real Madrid) since the turn of the decade, and been involved in more clean sheets than any other defender across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues (91). Honestly, neither statistic is surprising; the Germany international is one of the most complete centre-backs of the modern era: intelligent, athletic, fast and very, very strong. Even Virgil van Dijk has referred to Rudiger as a "beast"!
Honourable mentions: William Saliba, Marquinhos, Ruben Dias.
AFPCB: Virgil van Dijk
When pundits use the expression 'a Rolls Royce of a defender', they're usually talking about Virgil van Dijk. The Dutchman just makes it all look so easy. He has the physique to deal with the game's most powerful No.9s, the pace to cope with the quickest of wingers and the technique to start attacks with sweeping passes from the back. Van Dijk, who helped Liverpool end their English title drought in 2020, ranks in the top five among defenders for clean sheets, headers won and successful passes over the past five years.
Honourable mentions: Gabriel Maghalhaes, Alessandro Bastoni.