"At least in Europe" is the important part; British influence made it the lingua franca by 1900 or 1920 in South and Southeast Asia, eastern and southern Africa

"At least in Europe" is the important part; British influence made it the lingua franca by 1900 or 1920 in South and Southeast Asia, eastern and southern Africa, most of the Mashriq, &c &c. (To this day local varieties of English in many of these places retain Britishisms.) But yes, AFAIU English has only really become the Big One in the EU in the last 50 years or so.