20 Best Strikers in World Football [Ranked]

The hardest but most important part of football is to put the ball in the back of the net. This makes strikers the most valuable assets in the sport, as finding a number nine that can regularly find a way to score goals is a rare commodity. Some teams find a way to spread their goals around the team, but it is perhaps no coincidence that the best teams tend to have the most prolific men leading the line.

Obviously, playing for a better team gives the forward a better chance of having shots at goal, but ensuring the ball finds a way past the goalkeeper is a fine art. This article ranks the top 20 strikers in world football at the moment, with a few of the centre-forwards operating in the Premier League.

Ranking factors

Football is all about opinions. There is often no right or wrong, as most parts of the beautiful game are subjective. Statistics can be used to back up claims, but nothing can be proved outright when ranking players in order. For the list below, the following factors have been used to help place each striker:

• Goals
• Assists
• Goals per game
• Importance to team
• Individual performances

20

Jonathan David

Club: Juventus

Now, if there’s a striker who has been linked with a summer move for season after season after season, it is none other than Canadian hitman Jonathan David. Manchester United and Arsenal, two clubs in England’s top flight, were mooted as potential landing spots for the 25-year-old over the summer months, but it was the Bianconeri who he joined.

From KAA Gent in Belgium, the goal-hungry David moved to LOSC Lille in the summer of 2020 and helped them to a league title in his maiden campaign under Cristophe Galtier. He struck double-digits during every season in France and, while he may not be the pick of the bunch in the grand scheme of talent, the centre-forward is up there with one of the most reliable.

19

Mateo Retegui

Club: Al-Qadsiah

It was claimed that Premier League outfit Arsenal were offered the chance to sign Mateo Retegui in January 2025, but the 26-year-old’s services were snubbed as they looked elsewhere in the summer. He, in response, moved to Saudi Arabia to ply his trade for Al-Qasidah in July, and he’s hit the ground running in the Middle East with two goals on his league debut. Start as you mean to go on, they say!

For supporters, it’s a shame to see one of the world’s most exciting frontmen – who netted 28 strikes for Serie A side Atalanta in 49 games last season – no longer earn his corn in European circles. The Argentina-born striker, who is now a 22-cap Italy international, is far more than just an archetypal fox in the box.

18

Joao Pedro

Club: Chelsea

Liam Delap, signed by Chelsea in the early stages of the summer, wouldn’t have been most pleased to see Joao Pedro walk through the door. Widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the Premier League, the Brazilian worked his magic on the coast for Brighton & Hove Albion – and that intrigued the nation’s biggest hoarder of talent.

Although he is still in the embryonic stages of his west London career, it is clear that Pedro will be a revelation for Enzo Maresca and Co. In the league so far, the five-cap Brazil international has clearly been his side’s primary choice for the middle – and, as of October, it’s his berth to lose given he can score, drop deep, move out wide, run the channels. In truth, there’s not much he cannot do – and to a good standard, too!

17

Rasmus Hojlund

Club: Napoli

By the end of his time at Manchester United, Rasmus Hojlund had become a divisive figure at Old Trafford. Some believed that the Danish international might still have something to offer, while others believed he wasn’t good enough to lead the line for the Red Devils.

In the end, Hojlund moved to Napoli on an initial loan, with an obligation to make the move permanent next summer included. And the 22-year-old has rediscovered his best form back in Italy, scoring four goals in six matches and earning rave reviews from the Italian media. That form has carried over into his performances on the international stage, with four goals in his last three matches for Denmark.

16

Patrik Schick

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

You know the saying ‘a great touch for a big lad’? Well, Patrik Schick of Bayer Leverkusen – who has long been linked with a move to England’s primary division, epitomises just that. Also an utter menace in the final third, as evidenced by his 85-goal haul in 175 matches for his current employers, Schick may be lanky, but there are no doubts over how lethal he can be.

While some strikers are known for their poaching ability, the Czech international is, instead, the all-round package: he’s a great goalscorer, of course, but his composure and ball control make him fantastically suited to Bundesliga football. Victor Boniface’s injury record and his loan to Werder Bremen mean that he’ll be relied upon more often than not in Germany.

15

Cristiano Ronaldo

Club: Al-Nassr

There was once a point in time when the greatest goalscorer of all time would be the name at the very top of this list, with no real competition for his crown. In 2025, however, Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League, which is undeniably lower in quality than the top European leagues.

The Portuguese superstar is the biggest fish in the small pond that is the emerging division. Ronaldo scored more goals than any other player in 2023, hitting the back of the net 54 times. As already mentioned, the lack of quality in the league he plays in has to factor against the Real Madrid and Manchester United icon, but the 2024/25 was still a successful season for the 40-year-old, and considering he has recently renewed his contract, the coming years could follow in a similar vein.

14

Omar Marmoush

Club: Manchester City

Having been reportedly scouted by Liverpool’s first-rate recruitment team, mooted as the heir to Mo Salah’s golden throne, is enough of a compliment in itself. Omar Marmoush is considered to be the next big thing in Egypt, but it was Manchester City who recently raided Eintracht Frankfurt to acquire his services.

In Marmoush, Pep Guardiola has unearthed yet another goal-scoring machine. But it’s not just his numbers that excite City fans – his style of play is equally compelling. Marmoush thrives with his back to goal, often operating like a second striker, a role reminiscent of Julian Alvarez in previous campaigns. Paired with Haaland, the duo can wreak havoc on opposition defences – a truly daunting prospect for Premier League defenders.

13

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins’ rise to prominence since Unai Emery’s arrival at Villa Park has been astronomical, and arguably, hasn’t been spoken about enough. The England international has consistently been a reliable source of goals for Aston Villa in the past five years, emerging as one of the top attackers in the English top-flight after starting his career at Exeter City.

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His talismanic form for the Villains was enough to fire the West Midlands club into the Champions League. It was the first time the English side have ventured into the elite European competition in over four decades, and while he didn’t set the world alight throughout much of the 2024/25 campaign, he will be hoping to continue improving under his influential Spanish manager.

12

Marcus Thuram

Club: Inter Milan

Striker Marcus Thuram may not be the jewel in Inter Milan’s crown; that mantle is claimed by Lautaro Martinez (more on him later!) but his opening two seasons at the San Siro were still an incredible success. Joining on a free transfer from German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach, the Frenchman played a starring role in his first campaign as the men in black and blue reclaimed their league title.

In 2024/25, he was pivotal as his side reached the Champions League final. Thuram is one of the best forwards in Italy currently and is more than capable of playing either as his side’s chief line-leader or, instead, on the left wing, where he has turned into an impressive playmaker.

11

Hugo Ekitike

Club: Liverpool

Once unfavoured at Paris Saint-Germain, the languid Frenchman – who has drawn comparisons to new teammate Alexander Isak – became Eintracht Frankfurt’s latest big-money striker by joining the reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool, this summer. He moved after a career-best season of 22 goals and 12 assists.

At his previous club, Ekitike plundered 40 goal involvements (26G, 14A) in 64 outings, but he’s more than just an out-and-out goalscorer. He’s relatively adept at taking on opposition and stretching defences to exploit space, something which supporters have already seen in his opening matches of the season.