The best African players in Europe in the 2024/2025 season have set themselves apart by dazzling fans and redefining dominance across the continent’s top leagues. From the Premier League to the Pro League, African stars have stepped up with elite performances, breaking records and powering their clubs to glory. This season, they led from the front, delivering goals, assists, and heroic moments week in and week out.
In this article, we spotlight the standout African footballers who shaped the 2024/2025 European season, league by league, moment by moment.
MOHAMED SALAH – English Premier League
Undoubtedly, Mohamed Salah has been the best African player in Europe this season. His numbers are so astounding that he has surpassed his heroics from his historic debut season with Liverpool in the English top flight. The Egyptian winger has recorded 29 goals and 18 assists across 29 league appearances this season. His total tally stands at 33 goals and 23 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions. Insane numbers!
Salah has shattered countless records in the English top flight this season, ascending the league’s all-time goal-scoring and assist rankings steadily. He has been the major driving force behind Liverpool’s stellar season, propelling The Reds to the Premier League title. Having bagged the FWA Footballer of the Year award for 2024/2025, he is perfectly poised to clinch both the Premier League Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Season award for the second time in his career in the English top flight.
Liverpool fans can rest easily. Mohamed Salah is aging like fine wine, and with his contract renewal out of the way, he’ll keep producing jaw-dropping moments for The Reds.
ADEMOLA LOOKMAN – Serie A
Ademola Lookman needs no introduction. The CAF African Player of the Year has been in sensational form this season, spearheading Atalanta’s unlikely Serie A title charge. The Nigerian winger recorded 15 goals and 5 assists across 30 league appearances for La Dea this season. Lookman ranks third on the Serie A goal-scoring rankings this season and is the only African player in the top fifteen.
His brilliance isn’t just limited to his lethal goalscoring ability; he is the African player with the highest number of assists in Serie A this season. Lookman’s playmaking and finishing abilities are exceptional. Barring a brief spell on the sidelines earlier this year, he could have been a fierce contender for the Capocannoniere. Ademola Lookman excelled on all fronts for La Dea this season, playing an instrumental role in Atalanta’s UCL run before they were eliminated at the hands of Club Brugge, contributing five goals and one assist across seven UCL appearances. His impressive form has earned him several admirers across Europe, and he is unlikely to remain in Bergamo beyond the current season.
ACHRAF HAKIMI – Ligue 1
Achraf Hakimi has been a driving force for Paris Saint-Germain this season, offensively and defensively. The Moroccan fullback has been instrumental to PSG’s dominance in Europe this season. A tireless and explosive presence down the right flank, his relentless superb performances have been vital to PSG’s fourth consecutive Ligue 1 triumph. Underlining his importance, he has recorded the second-highest number of appearances for Luis Enrique’s high-flying side this season. Hakimi has justified his standing as one of the best fullbacks in the world this year, if not the best one in Europe.
In 25 appearances in the French League, he registered 4 goals and 6 assists, totaling 10 goal involvements. An unstoppable presence to be reckoned with, his performances in the UEFA Champions League have led the Parisians to the final. The Moroccan has recorded 8 goal involvements in 16 UCL appearances. Impressive numbers even for attackers! His goal against Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final was the final nail in the coffin that confirmed The Gunners’ elimination and the Parisians’ progression to the final. His exemplary form allowed him to edge the likes of Moses Simon and Evann Guessand to the Marc-Vivien Foe Award, an award for the best African player in Ligue 1.
PSG is on course to claim a historic treble at the end of the season, and Achraf Hakimi has been at the heart of it all.
SERHOU GUIRASSY – Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund’s hitman Serhou Guirassy, Amoura just edged Guirassy slightly in terms of overall performance and his contributions to his team’s success. Save for his move to Manchester City in the January transfer window, this spot would have undoubtedly belonged to Omar Marmoush. Guirassy has had a stellar debut campaign with Dortmund, having joined The Black and Yellow from VFB Stuttgart in the summer of 2024.
The Guinean hitman registered 21 goals and 2 assists across 30 Bundesliga appearances for Dortmund, in addition to the 13 goals and four assists he registered in Europe’s biggest club competition. His clinical performances and finesse in front of goal spearheaded Dortmund’s iconic fightback from 11th position to a top-four finish this season, booking a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League against all odds. He has displayed his ability to deliver excellently on the biggest stages, earning the attention of the biggest clubs in Europe.
INAKI WILLIAMS – La Liga
Mr Consistency, Inaki Williams is an ever-reliable presence for Athletic Bilbao on the frontlines. The Ghanaian winger has been in sensational form for The Lions this season, starring alongside his younger brother for The Basque Club. Williams has registered 6 goals and 8 assists across 34 league appearances this season, redefining consistency continuously. He has been vital to Athletic’s memorable 2024/2025 La Liga campaign. The fourth-placed La Liga side is poised to secure an automatic Champions League spot for the forthcoming season.
Williams is the African player with the most goals and assists in the Spanish league this season. He is the joint fourth-highest assist provider in La Liga this season. He was greatly instrumental to Bilbao’s electric run in the Europa League that culminated in a semi-final loss to Manchester United, contributing five goals and an assist.
VICTOR OSIMHEN – Turkish Süper Lig
Napoli’s wantaway Striker Victor Osimhen has made waves in the Turkish League this season. He has been monstrously clinical in front of goal for Galatasaray SK across the Turkish Super Lig, Turkish Cup, and the UEFA Europa League, rewriting the record books in the process. The Nigerian striker has found the back of the net 25 times in 29 league appearances, laying on five assists in the same period. 1.03 goal involvements per game! His man-of-the-match performance in Galatasaray’s league match against Antalyaspor, netting a hat-trick in less than 25 minutes, helped them to a resounding victory.
He is the highest-scoring player in the Super Lig this season. Owing to Osimhen’s heroics, Galatasaray has defended the Turkish League title this season, clinching a third consecutive Super Lig title. He has been unplayable across all competitions for The Lions, recording six goals and one assist across seven Europa League appearances for Galatasaray. Simultaneously, he chipped in 5 goals across 4 appearances in the Turkish Cup with a man-of-the-match brace to help Galatasaray defeat Trabzonspor in the final.
TOLU AROKODARE – Belgian Pro League
Tolu Arokodare has been unstoppable for Belgian Pro League side KRC Genk this season, putting them in strong contention for the Belgian league with his deadly precision in front of goal. The Nigerian striker has finally settled down to life comfortably in Belgium and has been dominating headlines this season. His heroics have led Genk’s title charge this season, with an impressive 21 goals and seven assists. This is the best season of Arokodare’s career, and he is only going to get better from here. The very best in the business in the Belgian Pro League, he is tied in first place with Adriano Bertaccini atop the goalscoring rankings.
Tolu Arokodare clinched the Ebony Shoe Award for the Best Player of African descent in the Jupiler Pro League recently, celebrating his clinical brilliance. This is his third season in Belgium and the big European clubs are interested in securing his signature. He remains vital in Genk’s quest to be crowned Champions of the Belgian Pro League.
