Every team wants a world-class centre-forward to lead their line, and there is arguably a lack of top strikers in today’s game compared to previous generations.
Scoring goals on a regular basis is a priceless attribute, and all clubs want a proven finisher in their ranks, but they can come at a huge price. That being said, there are still a plethora of elite strikers at the top of their games, but who is the best number nine around today?
Ranking factors
To help rank the strikers in order, we have considered the following criteria:
- Current form – how well a player has performed in the past few months
- Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their team’s performances
- Role – how unique their skillset is
- Reputation – what others say about them
Top 15 strikers in the world
15 Joao Pedro
Chelsea and Brazil
Joao Pedro quickly made an impact at Chelsea after signing for £60m from Brighton by helping the Blues win the Club World Cup in the USA.
The Brazilian, now valued at a career-high €50m, also started the 2025/26 Premier League season on fire and looks set to be Chelsea’s first choice striker for years to come.
14 Cristiano Ronaldo
Al Nassr and Portugal
Arguably one of the best players to have ever graced the game, Cristiano Ronaldo is still going strong at the age of 40 and has actually scored more goals since turning 30 than he did before.
He’s been plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League for Al Nassr since 2023 and has continued to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Ronaldo has now scored over 950 career goals for club and country and has been showing no signs of slowing down, continuing to feature regularly for Portugal.
13 Omar Marmoush
Man City and Egypt
After starring for Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush got his big move to Man City in January 2025, and he continued to find the back of the net for fun.
Pep Guardiola called the Egypt international “the best player in the Bundesliga” after signing Marmoush for City, and he already has a Premier League hat-trick to his name.
12 Nick Woltemade
Newcastle and Germany
Eyebrows were raised when Newcastle splashed the cash on Nick Woltemade in a club-record £69m over the summer.
However, the towering German has taken to life in England with ease, replacing Alaxender Isak and scoring goals on a regular basis.
Woltemade hasn’t looked out of place in the Premier League.
11 Marcus Thuram
Inter Milan and France
Marcus Thuram made history in 2025 with the quickest goal to be scored in a Champions League semi-final following his clever flick against Barcelona.
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The goal highlights Thuram’s quality, and he is now valued at €75m by Transfermarkt, a figure which has more than doubled since moving to Inter Milan from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2023.
The French forward has had the best goalscoring season of his career in 2024/25, and at 27, appears to be at the peak of his powers.
10 Alexander Isak
Liverpool and Sweden
Alexander Isak is regarded as one of the world’s best centre-forwards after starring in the Premier League for Newcastle United, and his record £125m transfer to Liverpool was the saga of the 2025 summer window.
Jamie Carragher, at the beginning of 2025, actually called Isak the “best striker in the Premier League”, however, his start to life at Anfield hasn’t gone to plan which has seen him drop down the rankings.
Alexander Isak: Major titles won
Trophy
Years won
League Cup
2025
DFB-Pokal
2017
Copa del Rey
2020
9 Victor Osimhen
Galatasaray and Nigeria
Galatasaray struck gold by signing Victor Osimhen on loan from Napoli last summer, with the Nigeria international continuing to do what he does best – score goals.
Osimhen fell out with Napoli chiefs last summer which resulted in his move to Turkey for the 2024/25 season, and that has now become permanent. The striker has been called “one of the best centre-forwards in the world” by Alvaro Morata.
8 Lautaro Martinez
Inter Milan and Argentina
Alvarez’s international teammate, Lautaro Martinez, is next on the list, with the Inter Milan star a regular source of goals for the Serie A giants since 2018.
In fact, Martinez has hit double figures for Serie A goals in all eight of his campaigns in Italy and has now surpassed 150 goals in all competitions for Inter.
Now Inter captain, Martinez appears to be in the prime of his career and even Lionel Messi backed him to win the Ballon d’Or just last year.
7 Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool and France
Hugo Ekitike became a man in demand after impressing for Eintracht Frankfurt, with Liverpool winning the race to secure his services for an initial £69m.
The 22-year-old previously made his loan move to Frankfurt from Paris Saint-Germain permanent in 2024 and enjoyed his best ever season in front of goal.
PSG are doing just fine themselves without Ekitike, however, they will surely be kicking themselves in regards to selling the “next Mbappe“, who is now flying at Liverpool.
Hugo Ekitike: Major titles won
Trophy
Years won
Ligue 1
2023, 2024
French Super Cup
2023
6 Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal and Sweden
Many wouldn’t have expected Viktor Gyokeres to be one of the best strikers in the world a few years ago when he was at Coventry City in the Championship. However, the Sweden international is now deservedly regarded among the elite after starring on the European stage with Sporting CP.
Gyokeres scored 43 times in his debut season in Portugal and has proven this year that he wasn’t a one-season wonder by finding the back of the net more than 50 times in 24/25.
He has now got his return to England with a big-money move to Arsenal and has continued to find the back of the net, albeit on a less regular occurence.
5 Robert Lewandowski
Barcelona and Poland
Robert Lewandowski has been a prolific goalscorer for the entirety of his career and is continuing to find the back of the net at the highest level for Barcelona at the age of 37.
Lewandowski has led the line superbly with Lamine Yamal and Raphinha starring out wide. The Poland international has now hit 700 career goals, and if he plays into his 40s, he could quite easily hit 800 before his retirement.
4 Julian Alvarez
Atletico Madrid and Argentina
Julian Alvarez was always the understudy to Erling Haaland at Man City, but after leaving the Etihad for Atletico Madrid in 2024, has become the main man under Diego Simeone.
The Argentine was Atletico’s top La Liga scorer for the 2024/25 campaign and is showing why he has been hailed as “extraordinary” by Guardiola before leaving City.
City replaced Alvarez with Marmoush, however, the former is now valued at a whopping €100m by Transfermarkt.
3 Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid and France
Since bursting onto the scene as a teenager with AS Monaco back in 2017, Kylian Mbappe has transformed into one of the world’s best players, with Real Madrid finally securing his services from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024.
Arguably the biggest free transfer in history, Mbappe has continued to score goals in Spain, which has resulted in Carlo Ancelotti calling him “the best centre-forward in the world“.
However, it isn’t just Mbappe who scores goals for fun, meaning he sits third on the current list.
2 Harry Kane
Bayern Munich and England
Harry Kane is arguably getting better with age. Now 32, the England captain has scored 20 or more goals in each of the last 11 seasons and has taken his goalscoring exploits to Germany with Bayern Munich in recent years.
He has caught the eye with his all-round build-up play alongside his finishing qualities, with sporting director Max Eberl saying Kane is doing “everything” at the Allianz Arena.
He has won plenty of individual honours and is averaging close to a goal a game with Bayern, with his contract still having two years left to run.
1 Erling Haaland
Man City and Norway
Transfermarkt currently have Erling Haaland as the most valuable centre-forward in world football, and the Man City superstar has already scored more than 250 club goals at the age of 25.
The Norway superstar has been called a “machine” in front of goal and has broken a number of records, resulting in his new base Man City contract being worth £525,000-a-week.
Haaland has been on fire at the start of the 2025/26 season, averaging more than a goal a game in both the Premier League and Champions League in November.