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. Mika Biereth

The former Arsenal academy graduate ventured overseas in a bid to make a career for himself, and he got the chance to perform on Europe's biggest stage with Sturm Graz.

Mika Biereth's goals helped the Austrians to the league title last season, and he spent just as year in Central Europe after Monaco swooped in January.

The Danish international isn't the most glamourous of centre-forwards, but he's an expert poacher who's mastered the art of being in the right place at the right time.

24. Moise Kean

There was once a time when Moise Kean looked horribly out of his depth at Juventus after breaking through as an exciting teenager in Turin.

A move to Everton proved disastrous, but a prolific season with Paris Saint-Germain served as a reminder of his talent.

It's taken some time for PSG Kean to resurface, but the Italian international has rediscovered his most potent form at Fiorentina this season. He's not the most technically clean strikers, but Kean is an opportunistic operator who's hard to stop when he's confident.

23. Jean-Philippe Mateta

A nasty boot to the head has slowed down the Jean-Philippe Mateta train after the Frenchman enjoyed a stellar run of form to kick off the new year.

The French forward long struggled to find his feet in south London, but the arrival of Oliver Glasner has been the making of Mateta. He's evolved into an Eagles cult hero and a contemporary Barclaysman.

However, the powerful forward has proven over the past year that he's no gimmick. Mateta is legitimately an excellent centre-forward.

22. Chris Wood

After recording just eight Premier League goals over the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, it seemed as if Chris Wood's best days were behind him.

And while the Kiwi striker returned to his steady scoring self last season, notching 14 strikes in the league, nobody foreshadowed the career year he'd embark on in 2024/25.

Wood has benefitted from leading the line of a Nottingham Forest team laden with speedsters and innovators in attack. His team are majestic on the counter-attack, and the striker has often been the man to round off scintillating moves on the breakaway.

His work as a facilitator shouldn't be overlooked either. He's superb at bringing others into play.

21. Jonathan David

Very few have performed with Jonathan David-like consistency since the Canadian international signed for Lille in 2020.

The striker has hit double-digits for goals in Ligue 1 since he rocked up in France, helping Lille to the league title during his debut campaign.

David may not scream superstar, but he's a striker who does lots of things well. He's a well-rounded sharpshooter who's incredibly reliable from the penalty spot.

20. Hugo Ekitike

A switch to Eintracht Frankfurt has been the making of Hugo Ekitike, who failed to make the grade in Paris after a premature big-money move.

The divine talent which convinced PSG to sign him from Reims in 2022 has manifested constantly in the Bundesliga, with the Frenchman benefitting from the division's laissez faire approach to defending.

Ekitike's relished the space and has come into his own since Omar Marmoush departed for Manchester City. He's comparable to Alexander Isak, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Europe's elite were in for him this summer.

19. Patrik Schick

The Czech forward is your archetypal "great touch for a big lad" profile. Patrik Schick is rather gangly and perhaps clumsy-looking, but there's nothing awkward about his ability with the ball at his feet.

After a couple of down years, Schick is currently tracking to enjoy the best goalscoring season of his career. With Victor Boniface suffering from injuries, Schick has taken on the starting role and proven to be a mightily reliable focal point.

18. 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.

17. 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 has been a bright spark amid a disappointing campaign for the north Londoners.

16. 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 repaid the Spanish coach with a flurry of goals during the run-in last season.

He's not the most aesthetic but his function for the Gunners is imperative. The German works his socks off every weekend, but his relentlessness may well have contributed to the hamstring injury he picked up in February which ended his season.

15. Omar Marmoush

Man City required revolution in attack midway through the 2024/25 season, and Pep Guardiola turned to Eintracht Frankfurt's prolific Egyptian.

While Omar Marmoush has primarily been used off the shoulder at the Etihad, he could perform a myriad roles in Germany and shone when working with Ekitike up top.

Marmoush is the club's long-term Julian Alvarez replacement and will be a key part of the next great City team. He's an unrelenting attacker capable of making something happen at any moment.

14. 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.

13. Mateo Retegui

Italy's dearth of centre-forwards forced Roberto Mancini to get creative. In March 2023, the former Azzurri boss called up Mateo Retegui for the very first time. Then Argentinian-born striker was then plying his trade with Tigre out on loan from Boca Juniors, but Sicilian grandparents rendered him eligible for Italian consideration.

Mancini's call has proven to be the making of Retegui, who soon joined Genoa and moved to Atalanta last summer after Gianluca Scamacca tore his ACL.

Retegui was signed as emergency cover, but instead of merely filling Scamacca's void, the Italian striker has enjoyed a staggering season for La Dea. He's well in Capocannoniere contention, but Retegui has shown this term that he's far more than a clinical goalscorer. He can do it all as a centre-forward.

12. 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 settled quickly at Signal Iduna Park despite the club's domestic issues.

11. 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.

10. 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 is relishing his time in the Spanish capital after a brief acclimatisation period.

The gritty Argentine is a natural fit at the Metropolitano.

9. 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.

8. 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. His current situation has removed him from mainstream prominence, but Osimhen is scoring goals for fun out in Turkiye.

7. 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.

6. 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.

5. 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 has caught the footballing world's attention this season. A monster move may well be in the offing this summer.

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

4. 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 Karim Benzema or ping 80-yard diagonals as Harry Kane can, but Lewandowski is an efficient monster in his own right.

3. Erling Haaland

Haaland may not be as naturally gifted or as marketable as some, but for the past few years, he's been 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 Pep Guardiola and Haaland has made a mockery of anyone who believed his frightening form wouldn't translate to the mean and nasty Premier League.

There's a simplicity to Haaland's game that's almost eerie. He's inevitable. The goals have continued to flow despite City's demise this season.

2. Kylian Mbappe

Much of the discourse surrounding Kylian Mbappe's long-awaited Real Madrid arrival surrounded the Frenchman's capacity to co-exist with another superstar in Vinicius Junior.

The Frenchman broke out as a centre-forward at Monaco but often performed a Thierry Henry-like role from the left flank at PSG. Vini Jr likes to operate from similar zones.

Carlo Ancelotti is a master problem-solver, however, and has found a way to platform his two megastars in attack. Vini Jr hasn't enjoyed the most prolific of seasons, but Mbappe, utilised as a fluid number nine, has hit the ground running in the Spanish capital.

While Madrid as a collective are yet to hit top gear, Mbappe certainly hasn't disappointed.

1. Harry Kane

There have been plenty of times when 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. Remarkably, 100 international goals is an achievable feat.

READ MORE ON THE BEST 25 PLAYERS FOR EVERY POSITION IN WORLD FOOTBALL