European Team of the 2020s so far: Robert Lewandowski and Kylian Mbappe make the cut - but no room for Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Vinicius Jr or Jude Bellingham

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.

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.

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.

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.

Davies was still only a teenager when he announced himself to the world by playing a key role in Bayern Munich's treble triumph in 2020, becoming an almost instant fan favourite with his stunning assist in the record-breaking 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals. Davies has since gone on to prove himself one of the most complete full-backs in the game - he's just as comfortable playing further forward on the wing - and Bayern are presently doing everything they can to convince him to sign a new contract.

Honourable mentions: Federico Dimarco, Theo Hernandez, Andy Robertson.

Real Madrid may not have agreed with Rodri winning the 2024 Ballon d'Or, but there's no more influential player in the game today. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City won four consecutive Premier League titles with the Spaniard protecting their back four and pulling the strings in midfield - but have completely capitulated since the Euro 2024 winner got injured in September. Why? Because the man is utterly irreplaceable. He's completed more passes and won possession more times than anyone else since January 1, 2020 - and it's not even close.

Honourable mentions: Casemiro, Toni Kroos.

Easily one of the most complete players of his generation, Kimmich is a force of nature whether deployed in midfield or at right-back. He does most damage in a more central role, though. He proved that during Bayern's treble triumph four years ago - and he's proving it again this season. The incredibly consistent Kimmich ranks third since 2020 for chances created and assists in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues, and fifth for possession won.

Honourable mentions: Pedri, Luka Modric, Declan Rice.

Mohamed Salah's consistency is simply staggering. No matter how he's playing, or how games are going for Liverpool, the Egyptian just always finds a way to contribute, be it with with a goal or an assist. Salah's been sensational from the very first moment he arrived at Anfield but, over the past five years alone, he's been directly involved in 216 goals and, as well as breaking a plethora of records, he also helped Liverpool finally get their hands on their Premier League trophy.

Honourable mentions: Bukayo Saka, Lionel Messi.

Time may finally be catching up with Kevin De Bruyne, but he's already done more than enough to earn inclusion in our all-star team. Despite playing fewer games since the start of 2020 than many of his rivals, De Bruyne has racked up more assists (88) than any other player across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues. He was also integral to Manchester City winning a historic four consecutive Premier League titles, as well as a treble in 2023.

Honourable mentions: Bernardo Silva,Bruno Fernandes, Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala.

Mbappe initially struggled to settle into his new surroundings at Real Madrid, but he's nonetheless a shoo-in for the left wing berth. The France forward finished as top scorer in Ligue 1 every year between 2020 and 2024 and has been directly involved in more goals in Europe's top leagues (253) than anyone else since the turn of the decade.

Honourable mentions: Vinicius Jr.

Criminally, Lewandowski doesn't have a Ballon d'Or to show for his sensational goal-scoring exploits over the past five years (and a lot further back!), but there's just no disputing his greatness. The Poland striker fired Bayern Munich to a treble at the turn of the decade and, having been reunited with Hansi Flick at Barcelona, is presently on track to pick up his third European Golden Shoe. There may have been plenty of other world-class contenders for the No.9 jersey in our team, but Lewandowski's got more goals than all of them since the start of 2020 - 205, to be precise.

Honourable mentions: Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Karim Benzema.