No African nation has ever won the FIFA World Cup. Still, some of the best African soccer players have starred for top European clubs. The best African soccer players have lit up the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A. These are some of the greatest soccer players in history from the African continent.
Weah, of Liberia, was one of the best African soccer players in history as a forward with blistering pace, masterful dribbling, and silky ball control. He redefined the modern centre-forward role as a front player who regularly dropped deep into midfield and drifted onto the wings. With that tactical versatility, Weah also linked play and set up a good number of goals.
Weah primarily starred for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan. His goals helped AC Milan win two Serie A titles. He was also the first African player in history to scoop both the FIFA World Player and Ballon d’Or awards.
Egypt’s Mo Salah was one of the best African soccer players ever to grace the Premier League. His elite ball manipulation, blistering pace, and curled finishing made him one of the best forwards and wingers in the world when playing for Liverpool. Premier League statistics highlight that Salah was one of the fastest players in Premier League history, with a top speed of 36.64 km/h.
Mo Salah scored 257 goals for Liverpool, making him one of the most prolific goal scorers in the club’s history. His goals were crucial for winning two league titles and a Champions League for the Reds, among other silverware. Salah was the top-scoring Premier League player in four seasons, making him one of only two players to have received four Golden Boots.
Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba lit up the Premier League as a prolific striker for Chelsea. Drogba’s elite striking, great passing vision, clinical heading, and sublime first touch made him one of the best African players in soccer history. He also had an uncanny knack for scoring goals in big matches.
With a Chelsea scoring record of 164 goals in 381 matches, Drogba was one of the most prolific forwards for the Blues. The Ivorian hitman won four Premier League titles, three League Cups, and the coveted Champions League. He also holds the Ivory Coast scoring record with 65 goals scored in international soccer.
Samuel Eto’o was a Cameroonian striker with lethal finishing, explosive pace, and world-class positioning. Although primarily a central no 9 striker, Eto’o was tactically versatile and even played as a defensive winger in Mourinho’s Inter Milan team. He was a striker renowned for defensive pressing, which enhanced his positional flexibility.
Eto’o is the only African player in history to win back-to-back league, cup, and Champions League triples at two clubs (Barcelona and Inter Milan). He won the Champions League four times overall and scored a total of 427 goals for his teams. With Eto’o playing for them, Cameroon won Olympic Gold and two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles.
Touré was one of the best African players to play in central midfield. He was a player with elite close control, high passing accuracy, and extraordinary shot power. Touré was also a very flexible player who played as a central midfielder, defensive midfielder, and centre-back.
Barcelona and Manchester City were clubs Touré played for. He was a crucial midfield component in three Manchester City title-winning sides and two triumphant Barcelona La Liga campaigns. Touré also scooped four African Player of the Year accolades to cement his place in the Africa hall of fame.
Those best African soccer players have actively shaped the game’s history in England, Spain, France, and Italy. Sure, none of them won the FIFA World Cup, but they showed Africa is a force to be reckoned with in Europe’s top soccer leagues. Africa is getting closer to World Cup glory, but it needs more top-class players like the stars above to topple the European and South American hegemony in global soccer.
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