As of August 2026, the 2025-26 European football season is underway, and African players continue to make a significant impact across the continent's top leagues. According to recent statistics from the CIES Football Observatory and league data, Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) leads African scorers with 8 goals in the first five matches of the Premier League season. Victor Osimhen (Napoli) follows with 7 goals in Serie A, while Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr, but formerly of European clubs) is not included as he now plays in Saudi Arabia.
Other notable performers include Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), who has contributed 4 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League, and Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), who has been instrumental in Ligue 1 with 3 goals and 6 assists. In La Liga, Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla) has scored 5 goals, while in the Bundesliga, Sébastien Haller (Borussia Dortmund) has netted 4 times.
The 2025-26 season also sees a new generation of African talent emerging. Players like Karim Konaté (RB Salzburg) and Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham) are gaining attention, with Konaté scoring 6 goals in the Austrian Bundesliga and Sarr providing 3 assists in the Premier League. These young players are following in the footsteps of legends like Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o, who paved the way for African success in Europe.
Despite the ongoing season, the hierarchy among African players in Europe is clear: Salah remains the benchmark, with Osimhen and Mahrez close behind. However, with the season still young, these rankings could shift as the campaign progresses.
