The 25 best strikers in world football - ranked

You can have the most technically inverted full-back, the strongest box-to-box midfielder and the silkiest playmaker in the world, but they're all pretty irrelevant without a player who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.

Football's evolution has facilitated the diversification of goalscoring and strikers are no longer merely tasked with hitting the target. When assessing the very best strikers in the world, the rate at which they score isn't the be-all and end-all.

However, teams still need goals up front and some of the very best in the world put up astonishing numbers season after season.

Here are 90min's top 25 strikers in the world as things stand.

25. Artem Dovbyk

Any striker who picks up the Pichichi Trophy in their debut La Liga season deserves some recognition.

Artem Dovbyk was plucked out of the Ukrainian Premier League after some goal-laden campaigns with Dnipro-1 and immediately settled at Girona as they mounted a shock charge for the Spanish top-flight title.

Their challenge for the championship faded away as Real Madrid asserted themselves at the top of the standings, but Dovbyk's sharpshooting earned him a lucrative move to Italian giants Roma.

24. Benjamin Sesko

There wasn't a 2024 summer transfer for Benjamin Sesko after he committed his future to RB Leipzig, but the Slovenian will undoubtedly end up at a continental giant soon enough.

The former RB Salzburg star ended his first Bundesliga campaign with 14 goals, catching the eye with his aerial ability, genuine two-footed threat and elite movement in the box.

Premier League sides like Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked with moves and, given he has so much potential at a young age, it's easy to see why.

23. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest footballers of all time, but he's no longer one of the very best in the world. Signs of the demise were evident during his time at Juventus, but he was still able to score at an alarming rate.

Under Andrea Pirlo, though, while he continued to find the back of the net, he proved more of a hindrance in the progressive system.

He carried the goalscoring load when he returned to Man Utd but was let go after falling out with former manager Erik ten Hag and now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr.

22. Gabriel Jesus

Pep Guardiola swiftly became enamoured with Gabriel Jesus following his move to Manchester City in 2017 and the Brazilian was an integral part of four Premier League-winning campaigns at the Etihad.

However, seeking a new challenge and more regular game time, Jesus swapped City for Arsenal, where he made a lightning fast start in an all-action striker's role.

Even if he's no longer at his peak, there are few players who boast the technical ability of Arsenal's number nine.

21. Karim Benzema

Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid in 2018 thrust Karim Benzema into the spotlight and, boy, did he deliver.

Following a poor 2017/18 season from a scoring perspective, Benzema then produced 21, 21, 23 and 27 La Liga goalscoring campaigns to re-emerge as one of the best strikers in the world.

However, the Ballon d'Or winner has dropped in the rankings following his move to Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, with the Frenchman no longer testing himself at the highest level.

20. Dominic Solanke

It appeared that Dominic Solanke's enormous potential would be wasted after failed periods at Chelsea and Liverpool, but the powerful centre-forward made his mark on the south coast with Bournemouth over several seasons.

After producing 19 Premier League goals with the Cherries in 2023/24, Tottenham were convinced to splash the cash on Solanke last summer. The England international is a perfect fit for Ange Postecoglou's system and will thrive in north London.

19. Serhou Guirassy

Serhou Guirassy was not a name many were familiar with before the 2023/24 campaign, but the sharpshooter suddenly finds himself among Europe's elite centre-forwards.

After a remarkable goalscoring season with VfB Stuttgart that helped them qualify for the Champions League with a second-placed Bundesliga finish, Guirassy made the move to Borussia Dortmund over the summer.

The imposing Guinea international's rise has been astounding and he's made a quick start to life at Signal Iduna Park.

18. Darwin Nunez

The chaotic Uruguayan just makes things happen.

His start to life at Liverpool has been a mixed bag to say the least, but Darwin Nunez has already shown in the Premier League he can make plays when the opposition least expects it.

Nunez lacks refinement but the comparisons to Edinson Cavani are valid. The former Benfica star is a physical behemoth whose relentlessness is enough to deter defenders. He runs the channels at will and is a player capable of lifting his side via the energy he emanates both with and without the ball.

17. Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez found himself as Erling Haaland's understudy at Man City, a role that will naturally limit your impact and game time. However, the Argentine still proved a menace in the minutes he received and was integral to the Cityzens' dominance.

Wishing to step out of Haaland's shadow, Alvarez made the move to Atletico Madrid last summer and will be keen to be the man making the headlines and taking centre stage under Diego Simeone.

16. Victor Boniface

Victor Boniface was one of many transformative figures at Bayer Leverkusen as the Bundesliga title winners ended Bayern Munich's dominant reign in 2023/24.

The Nigeria international suffered with injuries but was crucial in the early part of the campaign for Xabi Alonso's side, who went unbeaten in domestic action thanks to Boniface's goals.

15. Alvaro Morata

After bouncing around the continent, Alvaro Morata settled back in Spain and found regular goals easy to come by for Atletico Madrid.

However, following a Euro 2024 triumph with Spain in which he featured regularly, Morata has returned to Italy following two previous hit-and-miss spells with Juventus.

This time Morata is donning the red and black of Milan, leading the line in a new era for the Italian giants after Stefano Pioli's summer departure.

14. Dusan Vlahovic

Dusan Vlahovic hasn't always been a firm fan favourite at Juventus but he is starting to shape up as the striker who delivered regularly at Fiorentina.

The powerful centre forward has become dependable for the Old Lady and helped the Italian giants rediscover some impressive form in 2023/24, with Thiago Motta tasked with getting the best out of the Serbian international this season.

There is one hell of a player within Vlahovic, he just needs the confidence to make good on his potential.

13. Diogo Jota

Injuries have hampered Diogo Jota in recent seasons, but there's no doubting he guarantees goals when fit.

The Portugal international may be the most natural finisher on the books at Liverpool and, when you consider they have Mohamed Salah, that's really saying something.

The forward, whether operating through the middle or on the left, seldom fails to find the back of the net for the Reds and links play up beautifully when given the opportunity.

12. Lois Openda

Lois Openda burst onto the scene during the 2022/23 season by scoring a stunning 21 goals to fire Lens into the UEFA Champions League.

His reward for those goalscoring feats? A big-money move to German side RB Leipzig, where he has continued to hit the back of the net with eye-catching regularity in the Bundesliga.

The Belgium international has become renowned for his blistering speed, torturing German defences with his frequent and largely unstoppable darts in behind.

11. Kai Havertz

For much of his Premier League career, supporters have been desperate to know what kind of player Kai Havertz truly is. Was he a central midfielder? A number ten? A false nine?

Well, Mikel Arteta has deployed him largely as a striker for Arsenal and following a shaky start in north London, Havertz has started to repay the Spanish coach with a flurry of goals.

While he's still learning his new role, Havertz finally has some positional stability.

10. Marcus Thuram

Well, what a free transfer this has been for Inter.

Marcus Thuram rocked up in Milan after some remarkable seasons with Borussia Monchengladbach and endured no difficulties settling in Italy.

The French striker has formed a formidable partnership with Lautaro Martinez and helped push Inter to another Scudetto in 2023/24.

Some pretty impressive business from the Nerazzurri.

9. Alexander Isak

There were a few eyebrows raised when Newcastle decided to spend a club-record sum to sign Alexander Isak following a sub-par season at Real Sociedad, but they clearly had a plan to help him unlock his full potential.

Whether through the middle or coming in from the left, the gangly Swede causes mayhem and gives other teams multi-faceted headaches.

Is he a Zlatan Ibrahimovic regen? Not quite, but he's pretty damn close.

8. Viktor Gyokeres

Swapping Coventry City for Sporting CP isn't a particularly established transfer path, but Viktor Gyokeres has been simply sensational since arriving in Lisbon.

His ruthlessness has carried over from the Championship and the Swedish forward ended 2023/24 with 43 goals in all competitions.

A big move is surely in the offing for Gyokeres in the future, but for now he's still humiliating defences in the Primeira Liga.

7. Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins has looked like a natural number nine ever since he took on the role at Brentford but has hit new heights under Unai Emery.

The England international was either scoring or setting up goals throughout 2023/24 and his vast contributions played a major role in Aston Villa reaching the Champions League.

After an eye-catching goal at Euro 2024 that helped England reach the final, Watkins has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down.

6. Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen's Serie A record justified the mammoth fee Napoli paid Lille to secure his services in 2020.

He exploded into life as part of a joyous Napoli attack and helped the club win their first Serie A title in over three decades during the 2022/23 season with his constant stream of strikes.

However, things have since turned sour in Naples, forcing Osimhen into a surprise loan move to Galatasaray for 2024/25.

5. Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann's tactical intelligence and positional flexibility meant he featured as a central midfielder at the 2022 World Cup, but the brilliant Frenchman has been similarly impactful up top for Atletico Madrid.

His technical qualities are more or less unmatched in La Liga and the diminutive attacker continues to age like a fine wine since returning to the Spanish capital after a difficult spell at Barcelona.

There are few that can match his longevity and ability.

4. Lautaro Martinez

Admirers of calcio fell in love with the telepathic 'LuLa' strike partnership at Inter. Lautaro Martinez had struggled somewhat in his debut season at San Siro amid the backdrop of Mauro Icardi's looming departure, but the arrivals of Antonio Conte and Romelu Lukaku brought the Argentine to life.

Martinez immediately hit it off with the Belgian as Conte's Inter finally ended Juventus' decade-long reign as Italian champions. The goals have continued to flow in Conte and Lukaku's absence and the World Cup winner has hit new heights under Simone Inzaghi.

Overall, Lautaro is an intelligent and multi-faceted forward who excels out of possession.

3. Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski hasn't always been given the credit he's deserved - if not for a cancelled Ballon d'Or during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, he'd surely have one of the shiny golden balls.

After dominating the Bundesliga for a decade, Lewandowski opted to make the switch to Barcelona and has continued his fine scoring.

The Poland international combines the finest attributes of his elite contemporaries to create a near-complete centre forward. Sure, he's not as quick as Kylian Mbappe or as freakish as Erling Haaland, nor can he grow a beard like Benzema or ping 80-yard diagonals as Kane can, but Lewandowski is an efficient monster in his own right.

2. Harry Kane

There have been plenty of times where the England skipper has looked like both the best number nine and playmaker in the world. There isn't a pass Kane can't execute, nor a goal he can't score. 

The ever-elusive piece of silverware shouldn't detract from Harry Kane's majesty and the former Tottenham Hotspur striker has been a relentless goalscorer in Bavaria, just like he was in north London.

Age can't prevent Kane from finding the net with alarming regularity for club and country.

1. Erling Haaland

Haaland may not be as naturally gifted or as marketable as Mbappe, but he's currently the best player in the world at doing what a striker is employed to do: score goals.

Standing at 6'5 and blessed with a demonic turn of pace, the Norwegian superstar is football's answer to Ivan Drago.

His knack for scoring goals has seen him fall into the welcoming lap of Guardiola and Haaland has made a mockery of anyone who believed his frightening form wouldn't translate over to the mean and nasty Premier League.

There's a simplicity to Haaland's game that's almost eerie. He's inevitable.

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