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 part of the Welcome to World Class series.

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 the Ukraine international now has plenty of admirers around Europe thanks to his all-action style of play.

24. Benjamin Sesko

There won't be 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 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. Joshua Zirkzee

Part of Bologna's exciting squad that qualified for the Champions League, Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee carries an imposing presence up front.

While not the most efficient finisher in front of goal, the Netherlands international is supremely comfortable dropping deep to shield the ball and bring his teammates into play.

He's another young starlet admired by Europe's elite and is likely to get a big-money move at some point in the future.

22. Rasmus Hojlund

Man Utd were so impressed by Rasmus Hojlund's form for Atalanta and Denmark that they forked out £72m for his services.

After a slow start which saw him score exclusively in the Champions League, the pacy and powerful Danish forward has now found his shooting boots in the Premier League.

21. 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 Erik ten Hag and now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr.

20. Serhou Guirassy

Serhou Guirassy was not a name many were familiar with before the 2023/24 campaign, but the sharpshooter is suddenly being linked with Europe's elite sides.

The striker has enjoyed a brilliant second campaign with Stuttgart, but his challenge as a late bloomer will be to back up the first truly prolific season of his career.

19. Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney plays with a swagger that borders on arrogance, but he's got the ability to back up such confidence. The Brentford striker has enjoyed a steady rise to the top and scored bucket-loads at every level he's played at.

The Englishman missed the majority of the 2023/24 campaign due to a betting suspension but struck the back of the net frequently upon his return before a lengthy drought.

He still snuck into England's Euro 2024 squad, however, and will back himself to start scoring more often with regular game time.

18. 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.

17. Olivier Giroud

The forgotten man in France's 2018 World Cup win, Olivier Giroud continued to impress in Serie A into his late 30s.

Often criticised for his lack of pace in the Premier League, Giroud found a home in the slower, more intricate Italian top flight. The Frenchman led AC Milan to the Scudetto in 2022 and it was his ingenious brace in the Derby della Madonnina that helped turn the tide in the title race.

He's off to Hollywood in 2024 after signing for LAFC which seems like an excellent move and a glamorous fit for both parties.

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.

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. 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.

14. Alvaro Morata

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

He's never totally convinced European fans given he sometimes lets nerves get the better of him in front of goal, but the former Real Madrid and Chelsea forward has the link-up skills and aerial ability to make the difference when it counts.

13. Gabriel Jesus

Pep Guardiola loves Gabriel Jesus and his incredible first season at Arsenal provides a strong rationale why. He lauded the Brazilian's ability out of possession and Jesus helped transform the Gunners when he first arrived at the Emirates Stadium.

Jesus' impact transcends mere goals and assists. He's so strong, excellent with his back to goal and relentless without the ball. He excels in so many aspects that his samba dribbling skills are almost overlooked.

A four-time Premier League winner, his form has cooled but there's every chance Jesus will be back strutting his stuff soon enough.

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.

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.

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.

9. 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.

8. Alexander Isak

There were a few eyebrows raised when Newcastle decided to spend a club-record sum to sign Alexander Isak following a subpar 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.

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 all season and his vast contributions played a major role in Aston Villa reaching the Champions League.

6. 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.

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.

4. Victor Osimhen

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

He has exploded into life as part of a joyous Napoli attack and immediately instils fear into opposing defences as a result of his athleticism and relentlessness when running in behind.

The Nigeria international is one of the most valuable outlets in the world and led Napoli to their first Scudetto since the days of Diego Maradona.

3. 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.

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 Harry 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.

1. Erling Haaland

Erling Haaland may not be as naturally gifted or as marketable as Kylian 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.

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