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.

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:

It was claimed that Premier League outfit Arsenal were offered the chance to sign Mateo Retegui in January 2025, but the 27-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 hit the ground running in the Middle East with two goals on his league debut. Start as you mean to go on, they say! He's since bagged 18 more goals.

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 Europe, but the Saudi Pro League is now brimming with talent, Retegui included. The Argentina-born striker, who is now a 28-cap Italy international, is far more than just an archetypal fox in the box.

Mateo Retegui - 25/26 statistics (Al-Qadsiah)

Ivan Toney has enjoyed some rise in the 2020s. At the start of the decade, the Englishman was playing in League One with Peterborough. Since then, he's gone on to establish himself as a top Premier League striker and an England international.

Toney attracted significant interest in the 2024 summer transfer window but eventually made the surprise £40m move to Al-Ahli. It's hard to rank players playing in Saudi Arabia due to the strength of the Saudi Pro League, but Toney's numbers do not lie. He's scored 72 goals in 93 matches since moving to The Royals and, for that reason, he has to be considered one of the best strikers in the world.

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 100-goal haul in 207 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.

Patrik Schick - 25/26 statistics (Bayer Leverkusen)

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.

From Bukayo Saka at Arsenal to Liverpool's Mohamed Salah - the best player at each Premier League club has now been named.

His talismanic form has been vital in the Villains' success in recent years. He played an integral role as Aston Villa finished in the top four and qualified for the Champions League once again in 2025/26, while they also won the Europa League. Watkins remains an elite striker who offers far more than just goals.

Ollie Watkins - 25/26 statistics (Aston Villa)

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 2026, however, Cristiano Ronaldo finds himself plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League.

GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: On the men's international stage, Ronaldo is the highest-ever goalscorer. He's scored 143 times in 229 appearances for Portugal.

The Portuguese superstar is the biggest fish in the small pond that is the emerging division. The lack of quality in the league he plays in has to factor against the Real Madrid and Manchester United icon, but the 41-year-old is still playing at a very high level, and after leading Al-Nassr to the Pro League title in 2025/26, the coming years could follow in a similar vein.

Cristiano Ronaldo - 25/26 statistics (Al Nassr)

The name on everybody's lips over the last few years, Viktor Gyokeres looked all set for a big-money move in the 2024 summer transfer window, but ultimately ended up spending another year in Portugal. The Sweden international only joined his former side, Sporting CP, the previous year from Championship outfit Coventry City, but his sparkling form while in the Portuguese league had caught the attention of some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

After another incredible season where he finished second in the race for the Golden Shoe, the Swede made the switch to England to join Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. His first season in the Premier League was a mixed bag, but supporters will tell you that his mere presence on the pitch contributed to the Gunners becoming champions of England for the first time since 2004.

Viktor Gyokeres - 25/26 statistics (Arsenal)

Stuttgart was one of the lesser-known underdog stories of the Bundesliga in 2023/24 as they qualified for European competition for the first time since 2008 thanks to Serhou Guirassy's firepower. Instead of a move to England, though, with Guirassy rumoured to be on his way to Manchester United, he stayed in Germany, securing a switch to Borussia Dortmund.

With Niclas Fullkrug gone, the 30-year-old walked straight into the team and made his mark immediately. Guirassy managed 47 goal contributions in just 50 games in what was a brilliant debut campaign for BVB.

What is even more impressive, though, is the fact that Guirassy led the way in Europe, with his 13 goals in the Champions League making him the competition's top scorer, despite his side being knocked out by Barcelona in the quarter-finals. He didn't quite hit the heights in his second campaign but there can be no doubts about his quality.