Some football players are just plain unstoppable as they regularly find the back of the net with ease and finesse.
This article looks at some of the best strikers in the world based on how often they hit that clinical strike.
Let’s get started!
The 9 Top Strikers in the World
In honour of football’s ‘Number 9’—the centre-forward’s favourite jersey—we cover the nine best strikers in the world right now.
Robert Lewandowski
- Date of birth: 21 August 1988
- Current club: Barcelona
- Club goals scored: 537 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 740 as of April 2022
The first player on our list of world-class strikers is Robert Lewandowski, as he plays the traditional striker role to perfection!
With an incredible number of 47 goals in just 41 matches for his club last year, it’s no wonder that Lewandowski is considered one of the best strikers in the world.
The Polish international has been with German giants Bayern Munich since 2014 when he has scored 341 goals in just 370 appearances.
Lewandowski’s best season came in 2019–20 when he scored 55 goals in 47 appearances for his club, a tally that included 15 goals in European outings.
He has also won a plethora of individual awards, such as multiple Bundesliga Player of the Season trophies, a European Golden Shoe, the Ballon d’Or Striker of the Year, and more.
Related: Why does Lewandowski wear a mask?
Harry Kane
- Date of birth: 28 July 1993
- Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
- Club goals scored: 259 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 444 as of April 2022
Next on our list of the world’s best strikers is the Englishman Harry Kane, who has been with his boyhood club, the Spurs, since 2009 and is one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League.
Since he made his senior debut in 2012, Harry can’t stop scoring, and he has netted over 250 goals in around 440 club appearances as of April 2022.
He recorded his best season in 2016–17 when he scored 35 goals in 38 club games, with 2 in Europe’s competitions and 4 in the FA Cup.
His individual accomplishments include several Premier League Golden Boots, numerous inclusions in the Premier League’s Team of the Year, and more.
Related: Does Harry Kane have a football nickname?
Erling Haaland
- Date of birth: 21 July 2000
- Current club: Manchester City
- Club goals scored: 149 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 195 as of April 2022
Another young striker making waves in the world of football is Erling Haaland, as it’s been a long time since we’ve seen such an innate goal-scoring talent as his.
This 20-year-old Norwegian wunderkind is currently plying his trade with one of the most successful English football teams, Manchester City.
In his first full season with the club (2020–21), he scored 41 goals in 41 appearances—a goal every 86 minutes and something that has been rarely achieved.
That same season he also registered 10 Champions League goals in 8 games, an incredible feat for someone playing in the same competition as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Haaland is a striker who simply cannot be stopped when he gets going, and now he will be working with one of the top football managers Pep Guardiola, as Haaland’s move to Manchester City is now official.
Related: Best forwards at the Qatar 2022 World Cup
Romelu Lukaku
- Date of birth: 13 May 1993
- Current club: Inter
- Club goals scored: 263 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 544 as of April 2022
Another world-class athlete who has earned his place in the best strikers list is Romelu Lukaku, as the Belgian has been terrorising defences for years now.
Lukaku is currently plying his trade with Chelsea, a team he has previously played for, in addition to other top-flight clubs like Inter, Manchester United, and Everton.
So far, he has netted over 270 goals in over 550 club appearances (as of April 2022), with his biggest tally coming from his time in Everton with 87 goals.
Lukaku is a striker who is strong, fast, and, most importantly, clinical in front of the goal, making him one of the best in the world, as evidenced by his numerous individual triumphs.
If he continues to impress for Inter this season when he returns from the loan spell, he can surely become one of Chelsea’s goal-scoring legends.
Luis Suárez
- Date of birth: 24 January 1987
- Current club: Nacional
- Club goals scored: 452 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 724 as of April 2022
The top strikers in the world list wouldn’t be complete without Luis Suárez, as the Uruguayan is one of the most clinical goal scorers to have ever graced the pitch.
While he currently plays for Atlético Madrid, he also played for all-star teams like Barcelona and Liverpool, helping them clinch numerous titles with his sublime finishing skills.
In his career so far, he has scored almost 440 goals in just under 700 club appearances (as of April 2022), a tally that includes 27 goals and 25 assists in the Champions League.
Since he is just as good at creating chances for his teammates as he is at scoring goals, Suárez is one of the most complete football players on our list.
Cristiano Ronaldo
- Date of birth: 5 February 1985
- Current club: Manchester United
- Club goals scored: 692 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 930 as of April 2022
Our list wouldn’t be complete without the one and only Cristiano Ronaldo, who can easily make his case as history’s best footballer, alongside greats like Messi, Maradona, and Pele.
The Portuguese forward is currently on his second stint for Manchester United, having previously plied his trade with some of the most successful European teams like Juventus, Real Madrid, and Sporting Lisbon.
In his storied career thus far, he has scored almost 700 goals in around 930 games, a tally only Messi can best, as he has been the more efficient scorer.
He has also won an astonishing number of 30 major trophies, including five Champions League titles and five Ballon d’Ors.
Karim Benzema
- Date of birth: 19 December 1987
- Current club: Real Madrid
- Club goals scored: 398 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 765 as of April 2022
Next up is Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former teammate and one of the most clinical world-class strikers in the game’s history.
Benzema is currently playing for Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are sitting top of the table as of April 2022, thanks to his talent to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Thus far, he has managed to rack up an impressive goal tally of almost 400 goals in around 750 games, with the majority scored while wearing the Real Madrid jersey.
His trophy cabinet includes a plethora of trophies, including four French Championship titles, three Spanish La Liga titles, and four of the best looking trophy, the Champions League.
Ciro Immobile
- Date of birth: 20 February 1990
- Current club: Lazio
- Club goals scored: 257 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 450 as of April 2022
As we end our list, we would be remiss if we omitted Ciro Immobile, a classical Italian striker who can produce goals out of thin air.
He is currently playing for Lazio in his homeland of Italy, but he has also played for other top clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Sevilla, and Juventus.
As of April 2022, he had scored a total of 301 goals in 508 games, with his best tally coming during the 2019–20 season when he scored a whopping 39 goals in just 44 games.
This impressive feat saw him win the European Golden Shoe, an award given to Europe’s top scorer, in addition to numerous other individual awards.
Dušan Vlahović
- Date of birth: 28 January 2000
- Current club: Juventus
- Club goals scored: 58 as of April 2022
- Club appearances: 148 as of April 2022
Akin to the other youngsters on our list, Dušan Vlahović is just starting to make his name as a prolific striker who will significantly impact football.
What makes him one of the best strikers in the world is his natural ability to score goals, as he has already netted 78 goals in 170 games, most of which came when he was playing for Fiorentina.
As one of Serie A’s top clubs, Juventus recognised his ability to score goals and snatched him to further develop his killer performance in front of the opponents’ goal.
With his best years still ahead of him, there is no doubt that Vlahović will be scoring lots of goals for years to come.
Conclusion
While many fans may disagree about who is the best striker in the world, the players listed above are objectively the best strikers in the world based on a few measures such as age, goals, and appearances.
We look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future.
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