Best European Football (Soccer) Players in History

Since the creation of football, Europe has produced some of the best players to play the game. From legends such as Gerd Müller from the 1960s to more recent football stars such as Thierry Henry, the discussion around who the best football player to exist is ongoing to this day. However, every player on the list below earned their spot from a career full of achievements and awards. After reading about these legends, you may find it easier to spot future stars and improve your knowledge of soccer odds to increase your success in making bets.

Thierry Henry (France)

Thierry Henry started his career at the AS Monaco academy, and it wasn’t long before he achieved every professional football player’s dream, winning the World Cup. He was just 20 years old when he helped France lift the World Cup, but his achievements didn’t stop there. He went on to play in the Premier League for Arsenal where he became a club legend. He also played for the Spanish superclub, Barcelona, where he was a goal-scoring threat playing as both a winger and a striker. 

In 2000, Thierry Henry transferred to Arsenal after Arsene Wenger, the manager of Arsenal at the time, saw the potential of the young French player. It didn’t take long for Henry to find his stride at the club, quickly racking up a lot of goals. In the 2001/2002 Premier League season, Henry helped Arsenal not only win the league, but also lift the FA Cup for a historic double. That year alone, Henry racked up a total of 32 goals, and in the following season, he won the Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world that year. His success didn’t end there, and in the 2003/2004 Premier League season, Henry propelled Arsenal to an undefeated season where they won the league again after going on a 49-game winning streak. 

During his time at Arsenal, Henry scored a total of 228 goals, and he won the Golden Boot for the Premier League four times. This made him the top goal scorer in the history of the club. He left the Gunners in 2007, but his legacy lives on as one of the best European players to have ever played the game of football. In fact, Arsenal even built him a statue outside their stadium.

Gerd Müller (Germany)

Up next is Gerd Müller, who goes down in the history of football as one of the best strikers to ever play the game. He started his career in 1958, playing for TSV 1861 Nördlingen, where he managed to score a total of 51 goals in just 31 games. He then moved to Bayern Munich, where he cemented his name in the history books as a legendary footballer. Over the 15 years he spent playing for the club, he scored a total of 398 goals and achieved a number of impressive feats. 

Müller won the Bundesliga, the top German league, a total of four times, as well as the Champions Cup three times in three consecutive seasons, and the DFB-Pokal on four separate occasions. In addition to this, Müller won the European Cup Winners Cup as well as the Intercontinental Cup. Müller was awarded the European Golden Shoe twice, as well as the award for the best player in the world, the Ballon d’Or, which he won in 1970. 

Eusébio (Portugal)

Eusébio is remembered as the player who gave Portugal a name in the game of football. He played for Benfica, where he helped them to reach the finals of the European Cup on four separate occasions, and he lifted the trophy once. Eusébio played a crucial role in Portugal’s run in the 1966 World Cup where they finished in 3rd place, which is the best they have finished since. During the World Cup, Eusébio scored a total of nine goals, which won him the Golden Boot award for the tournament. 

Eusébio won a number of awards including the Ballon d’Or in the 1965-1966 season, which is the same year that Benfica won the league and made it to the final of the European Cup. What most people know Eusébio for was his ability to score a ridiculous amount of goals. In 430 appearances over his entire career, he managed to score an unbelievable 473 goals. This makes him one of the greatest European goal-scorers of all time.