Welcome to World Class: The Top 5 Strikers of 2020 - Ranked

It's been a delightful month but we are sadly now entering the final few positions in our Welcome to World Class series.

Over the past four weeks we have used our groundbreaking metric to first define what 'world class' actually means, before revealing which players are most deserving of the description in 2020.

Goalkeepers, full-backs, midfielders of all description, as well as left forwards, have all got the treatment in the past. Now, it's the strikers turn.

After whittling down our longlist and shortlist, we can now finally bring you the definitive ranking of the best five strikers on the planet right now.

5. Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku's career has been one of peaks and troughs.

From bursting onto the scene as a 16-year-old, top scorer in the Belgian top flight, to slowly building his reputation with a series of Premier League loans, to becoming the unfair target of ridicule at Manchester United, it's been quite a journey.

Since moving to Inter last summer though, Lukaku has been nothing short of incredible. His 34 goals in all competitions matches the amount scored by Ronaldo during his debut campaign in Milan and at times, he single-handedly dragged the Nerazzurri along in the title race last season.

Recently, Lukaku admitted that he sees himself as one of the top five goal getters on the planet. Who are we to disagree?

Romelu Lukaku ranks fifth in 90min's Welcome to World Class strikers list. Read more about why Lukaku is world class here.

4. Karim Benzema

For years, Karim Benzema operated in the shadows as a facilitator for Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo-centred attack.

Since CR7's departure in 2018, Benzema has finally taken centre stage at the Santiago Bernabeu, proving to his doubters that he is without doubt, world class.

Over the past two season he has led the Real scoring charts by some distance, while still playing a key creative role and working harder than ever.

His manager, Zinedine Zidane, certainty appreciates all he has done for the club, labelling him as the best French striker of all time in a recent interview. If he's good enough for Zizou, he's good enough for number four in our list.

Karim Benzema ranks fourth in 90min's Welcome to World Class strikers list. Read more about why Benzema is world class here.

3. Harry Kane

His trophy haul may be non-existent but that is not the only measure of world class player.

Harry Kane is following Jimmy Greaves, Gary Lineker, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer in a rich tradition of record-breaking English goal scorers.

Before Kane hangs up his boots, he is likely to smash many more records but it is not just goals that make him such a devastating player.

As he has shown plenty of times in 2020, Kane is also a freakishly intelligent playmaker. So good in fact, he even duped us into thinking Tottenham were genuine title contenders for a few weeks...

Harry Kane ranks third in 90min's Welcome to World Class strikers list. Read more about why Kane is world class here.

2. Kylian Mbappe

The label of 'generational talent' has been thrown about far too frequently in 2020 but if any player deserves it, it is probably Kylian Mbappe.

Since bursting onto the scene as a precocious 17-year-old for Monaco, Mbappe has not stopped making our collective jaw hit the floor with his brilliance.

It took him just 137 appearances to hit a century of strikes for Paris Saint-Germain and he is also the youngest ever player to score ten, 15 and 20 Champions League goals.

Still just 22 years old, it is scary to think what Mbappe could achieve before he retires.

Kylian Mbappe ranks second in 90min's Welcome to World Class strikers list. Read more about why Mbappe is world class here.

1. Robert Lewandowski

Here he is, the man who broke our metric. The only player to score full marks on every single one of our 10 categories.

Few could argue that Robert Lewandowski does not deserve to be considered the best player in the world right now. A brief glimpse at his stats is enough to blow your mind. Last season, Lewandowski managed a ridiculous 55 goals and ten assists in 47 appearances.

This unreal output led to success as well with Bayern Munich securing a famous treble, thanks principally to their offensive talisman's indescribably good form.

It's difficult to imagine anyone, regardless of their position, replicating Lewandowski's recent performances any time soon and it is only right that he heads up our list.

Robert Lewandowski ranks first in 90min's Welcome to World Class strikers list. Read more about why Lewandowski is world class here.