Every team wants a world-class centre-forward to lead the team, but there is perhaps a lack of top strikers in today’s game compared to previous generations.
Scoring goals regularly is an irreplaceable trait and every club would like to have a proven finisher in their ranks, but the cost can be very high. That being said, there are still many elite strikers at the top level, but who are the best number nines today?
ranking factors
To rank the strikers in order, we considered the following criteria:
Current form – how well the player has performed over the past few months
Importance to the team – How much does it impact team performance?
Role – How unique is their skill set?
Reputation – what others say about you
Top 15 strikers in the world | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
rank | player | year | club | nation |
1 | erling haaland | twenty five | man city | Norway |
2 | harry kane | 32 | bayern munich | england |
3 | Kylian Mbappe | 27 | real madrid | France |
4 | julian alvarez | twenty five | atlético madrid | Argentina |
5 | Robert Lewandowski | 37 | Barcelona | Poland |
6 | Victor Gokeres | 27 | arsenal | Sweden |
7 | Hugo Ekitike | twenty three | liverpool | France |
8 | Lautaro Martinez | 28 | Inter Milan | Argentina |
9 | Victor Osimhen | 26 | galatasaray | Nigeria |
10 | alexander isak | 26 | liverpool | Sweden |
11 | Marcus Thuram | 28 | Inter Milan | France |
12 | nick waltemade | twenty three | newcastle | Germany |
13 | Omar Mahmush | 26 | man city | egypt |
14 | Cristiano Ronaldo | 40 | Al Nasr | Portugal |
15 | Joao Pedro | twenty four | chelsea | Brazil |
15
Joao Pedro
chelsea and brazil
Joao Pedro quickly made an impact at Chelsea after signing from Brighton for £60 million, helping the Blues win the Club World Cup in America.
The Brazilian, currently valued at a career-high €50 million, has made a strong start to the 2025/26 Premier League season and looks set to be Chelsea’s first-choice striker for years to come.
João Pedro: Major title win | |
|---|---|
trophy | Years earned |
club world cup | 2025 |
14
Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nasr and Portugal
Arguably one of the best players to ever grace the game, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40, in fact scoring more goals since turning 30 than ever before.
He has been in the Saudi Professional League since 2023 in a trade with Al Nasr and continues to find the back of the goal on a regular basis.
Ronaldo has now scored over 950 goals for club and country and shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to feature regularly for Portugal.
Cristiano Ronaldo: major titles won | |
|---|---|
trophy | Years earned |
ballon d’or | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
Best FIFA Male Player | 2008, 2016, 2017 |
european championship | 2016 |
premier league | 2007, 2008, 2009 |
league | 2012, 2017 |
Serie A | 2019, 2020 |
champions league | 2008, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
fifa club world cup | 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018 |
UEFA Super Cup | 2014, 2016, 2017 |
nations league | 2019 |
FA Cup | 2004 |
league cup | 2006, 2009 |
community shield | 2007 |
italian cup | 2021 |
king’s cup | 2011, 2014 |
spanish super cup | 2012, 2017 |
italian super cup | 2018, 2020 |
portugal super cup | 2003 |
13
Omar Mahmush
man city and egypt
After starring at Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmouche made his big move to Manchester City in January 2025 and continued to find the back of the net for fun.
Manager Josep Guardiola called the Egyptian international “the best player in the Bundesliga” after signing Marmouche for City, and he has already scored a hat-trick in the Premier League.
12
nick waltemade
newcastle and germany
Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle paid a club record £69m for Nick Waltemaide in the summer.
However, the tall German has fitted in easily in England, scoring regularly in place of Alaxender Isak.
Woltemade wouldn’t look out of place in the Premier League either.
11
Marcus Thuram
Inter Milan and France
Marcus Thuram made history in 2025 when he scored the fastest goal in a Champions League semi-final with a deft flick against Barcelona.
The goal underlined Thuram’s quality, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at €75 million, a figure that has more than doubled since his move from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Inter Milan in 2023.
The French forward had the best scoring season of his career in 2024-25 and appears to be at the peak of his powers at the age of 27.
Marcus Thuram: Major title win | |
|---|---|
trophy | Years earned |
Serie A | 2024 |
italian super cup | 2023 |
nations league | 2021 |
10
alexander isak
liverpool and sweden
Alexander Isak is regarded as one of the best centre-forwards in the world after his time in the Premier League with Newcastle United, and his record £125m move to Liverpool became a story for the summer of 2025.
In fact, Jamie Carragher called Isak “the best striker in the Premier League” at the start of 2025, but he has dropped down the rankings after his start to life at Anfield did not go to plan.
Alexander Isak: Major title win | |
|---|---|
trophy | Years earned |
league cup | 2025 |
DFB Cup | 2017 |
king’s cup | 2020 |
9
Victor Osimhen
galatasaray and nigeria
Galatasaray won gold last summer by signing Victor Osimhen on loan from Napoli, and the Nigeria international continued to do what he does best: score goals.
Osimhen fell out with the Napoli bosses last summer and was set to move to Turkey for the 2024-25 season, but that move has now become permanent. Alvaro Morata calls the striker “one of the best centre-forwards in the world”.
8
Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan and Argentina
Alvarez’s international teammate Lautaro Martínez is next on the list, with the Inter Milan star having been a regular source of goals for the Serie A giants since 2018.
In fact, Martinez has scored double figures in Serie A in all eight seasons in Italy and currently has over 150 goals in all competitions for Inter.
Inter’s current captain, Martinez appears to be at the peak of his career, with Lionel Messi also backing him to win the Ballon d’Or just last year.
7
Hugo Ekitike
liverpool and france
Hugo Ekitike became a sought-after figure after impressing at Eintracht Frankfurt, with Liverpool winning the race and securing his spot for an initial £69m.
The 22-year-old joined Frankfurt on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on a permanent basis in 2024 and enjoyed his best season ever in front of goal.
PSG have fared well without Ekitike, but will no doubt feel guilty about selling the ‘next Mbappe’, who is currently on the move to Liverpool.
Hugo Ekitike: major title wins | |
|---|---|
trophy | Years earned |
Ligue 1 | 2023, 2024 |
french super cup | 2023 |
6
Victor Gokeres
arsenal and sweden
A few years ago, when he was at Coventry City in the Championship, many would not have expected Victor Gokeres to become one of the best strikers in the world. However, the Swedish international has now earned a well-deserved reputation as a member of the elite after flourishing on the European stage with Sporting CP.
Gokeres scored 43 goals in his debut season in Portugal, and this year he proved he was more than just a one-season wonder, scoring over 50 times in 24/25 games.
He has now returned to England with a big-money move to Arsenal and has continued to find the back of the net, albeit with limited appearances.
