Best Strikers in the World Right Now (Ranked)

The striker’s role in modern football goes beyond just scoring goals - it’s about adapting to various systems, creating chances, and leading the attacking line with intelligence and flair. With each season, only a select few manage to rise above the rest and earn their spot as world-class goal scorers. Our list of the best strikers in the world includes some legends who have been tearing it up for seasons together. However, it also includes some young superstars who have already proven their worth in world football, such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

There is a reason why strikers tend to be in the limelight so often. Goals, after all, win you games, even though there are a plethora of other ways in which strikers can help a team. Be it hold-up play, creating chances for others, or simply making proper use of the space afforded to them, strikers can be useful not just in attack, but oftentimes in defence as well. Here, we look at our comprehensive list of the best strikers in the world. This will answer a simple question: Who is the best striker in the world at present? To make our list of the best striker in the world 2025 edition more transparent, we have also revealed our ranking factors under this segment.

List of Best Strikers in the World

Note: xG is based on their 2024/25 season performance across all competitions and may vary slightly depending on the data source; we've taken data from FootyStats.

How We Ranked the Best Striker in the World?

Who is the Best Striker in the World Currently?

Strikers who were instrumental in winning league titles, European honors, or international tournaments ranked higher. So, who is the best striker in the world currently? Let’s find out!

10) Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Ollie Watkins’ performance for Aston Villa this campaign has completely gone under the radar this season. In this campaign, the English striker has scored an impressive 17 goals and 14 assists this season, highlighting his prowess in front of the goal. Ollie’s fantastic campaign has helped Aston Villa this season as they rank 5th in the league.

Although the striker has seen a dip in form compared to the 2023/24 season. Still, with his last season’s performance and current stats, he is one of the best strikers in the world currently.

9) Mateo Retegui (Atalanta)

The Argentine-born striker has caught everybody’s attention with his impressive scoring and creativity on the field for his club, Atalanta. Mateo Retegui scored 9 goals for his club last season. His ability to hold the play and score from all positions across the pitch makes him one of the best strikers in the world in 2025. It remains to be seen if he can sustain his clinical performance, but for now, he has shown no signs of slowing down.

Retegui came all guns blazing under the recently concluded season for his club with 28 goals and 9 assists in 49 games. He has been influential for his club in Serie A, as they finish 3rd in the league with 74 points in 38 games.

8) Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)

Julian Alvarez is slowly getting into the list of the top 10 best strikers in the world in 2025 with his clinical performances for Atletico Madrid. His ability to connect with the midfield while making space for teammates to exploit makes him the perfect modern striker who could thrive in any tactical system. Last season in the Premier League, Alvarez bagged an impressive 19 goals while also providing 14 assists to his teammates.

He regained his form and has performed extremely well under the 2024/25 season, netting 29 goals and 8 assists in 57 games. His goal-scoring spree has gone up as compared to his last season for Manchester City in the EPL.

7) Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona)

The 36-year-old Polish striker came all guns blazing this season for FC Barcelona after a disappointing season for him. He managed to score 26 goals and nine assists across all competitions for his club. Considered one of the best strikers in the world, Robert Lewandowski regained his form and scored an impressive 42 goals and 3 assists in 52 games for Barcelona during the recently concluded season.

His ability to convert half chances and goal-scoring skills have put him on the list so high. The Barca number nine finished behind only Kylian Mbappe; the Polish striker has scored 25 goals in the Spanish top flight, and missed out on the golden boot 2024/25 season.

6) Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)

The Argentine striker Lautaro Martinez has been one of the crucial cogs in Inter Milan’s extremely successful campaign and has carried his last season’s form. His ability to find himself in scoring positions and his finishing abilities. In this current Serie A campaign, the Inter Milan striker has scored an impressive 12 goals and found himself in a tough battle for the list of the best football strikers in the world.

Martinez is leading Inter’s attack as their captain and was one of the key players during their conquest of defending their crown, but they were unable to do it. He is leading the charge and is the highest scorer of the club during the 2024/25 season with 24 goals so far.

5) Erling Haaland (Man City)

It is hard to speak of the world’s best forward without mentioning Erling Haaland in the conversation. The big Norwegian continues to dominate the English Premier League as he dons the Manchester City jersey. His 22 goals have helped Man City finish inside the top 3 after a disastrous start to the recently concluded season.

While Erling Haaland has certainly not enjoyed as strong a season as last campaign, it is important to remember his time on the sidelines due to injuries. Despite that, he continues to remain the best football striker in the EPL and he will look to emulate his previous performances as the end of the season approaches.

4) Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP)

The Swedish centre-forward, Viktor Gyokeres, has been in fantastic form since 2023 and has been influential for the Portuguese club, Sporting CP, in the Primeira Liga. During the 2024/25 campaign, he displayed his prowess in front of the goal as he won the Golden Boot in the League with 39 goals.

His consistent performances certainly rank him as one of the best strikers in the world. Even though he plays in the Portuguese league, his goal-scoring skill is phenomenal and needs to be mentioned on this list of the best strikers in the world.

3) Alexander Isak (Newcastle United)

Newcastle United’s journey has been one of the inspiring stories this season in the English Premier League, with Alexander Isak being the crucial player for the team. His ability to adapt and constantly find himself in goal-scoring positions for the Magpies. The Swedish striker scored an impressive 25 goals for his side in the Premier League last season, and he continued with his fine form during the 2024/25 season as well, with 27 goals and six assists in 42 games.

While his stats may not be as impressive as others in this list. But who can argue about his influence in the EPL with his team? he has been scoring against all big teams, cementing his place as the best striker in the world. The player, with his performance and skill, earned the number one spot in our list of the best striker in the world 2025 edition.

2) Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

It obviously had to be the goal machine to be one of the top two best strikers in the world on our list, Harry Kane. The English striker made the move to Germany in the summer transfer window last season and has been simply sensational for Bayern Munich since then. His 31 goals in his first season away from home have truly rocked everyone.

Unfortunately for him, trophies continue to elude him as Bayern finished 3rd in the Bundesliga. But this didn’t stop Harry Kane from losing his concentration and continuing his fine form from last season. Maybe that’s the price you pay for being the best striker in the world! The English striker has finally got his hands on his first ever trophy in his career.

1) Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

Despite being hounded by injuries this season, Kylian Mbappe continues to remain one of the best strikers in the world in 2025. He was instrumental in PSG’s dominance in the Ligue 1 last season, where he also scored 45 goals & 11 assists for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season. It is important to remember that Kylian Mbappe has scored 43 goals and 5 assists in the league during the 2024/25 season after a slow start for Real Madrid after completing his transfer.

The French striker recently bagged a stunning hat-trick against Man City in the UEFA Champions League to carry Los Blancos in the last 16. He finished as the top scorer in La Liga and managed to pick up his form at the right time, as well as winning his first European Golden Boot.