Soccer strikers are often the most exciting players to watch on the pitch. With their lethal finishing abilities, raw power, and skill to create chances out of nothing, strikers are usually the ones scoring the most memorable goals and stealing the headlines. Their talents make them fan favorites across the globe.
But who are the top strikers ruling the sport right now in 2022-2023? This article will rank the 10 best soccer strikers in the world currently based on their abilities, achievements, impact, and form. Whether they ply their trade in the English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, or elsewhere, these forwards are the cream of the crop when it comes to finding the back of the net.
What Makes a Great Soccer Striker?
To be considered one of the best strikers in the world requires excellence across several attributes:
Goal scoring ability and Finishing chances in a variety of ways. The best strikers are clinical inside the penalty area.
Creating chances: Ability to fashion opportunities for themselves and teammates. Holding up play, link-up passing assists.
Link-up play: Combining with midfielders and wingers to move the ball into dangerous areas.
Finishing in tight spaces: Composure to score from limited opportunities in crowded boxes.
Physical strength: Power to hold off defenders and score from tight angles and set pieces.
Speed: Pace to get in behind defenses and break down the flanks.
The elite strikers in the world right now possess these qualities and more. Let’s look at who made the top 10 ranking.
#10 Victor Osimhen (Napoli/Nigeria)
The 23-year-old Nigerian striker has been enjoying a breakout season in Serie A with Napoli. After joining the club in 2020, Osimhen has developed into one of the most feared forwards in Italy with his combination of speed, power, and clinical finishing.
Standing at 6’3”, Osimhen uses his athleticism and aerial ability to bully defenders. He excels at getting on the end of crosses and scoring with powerful headers. But he’s also adept at using his pace to make dangerous runs in behind defenses.
With more than 20 goals across all competitions for Napoli last season, Osimhen is emerging as a huge talent for club and country. His standout performance came against Liverpool in the Champions League group stage, where he scored the opener in Napoli’s 4-1 demolition of the English giants.
With his recent form, Victor Osimhen earns the #10 spot on this ranking of the world’s best strikers. If he continues his development, he has the potential to become truly world-class.
#9 Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan/Argentina)
At just 25 years old, Lautaro Martinez has quickly established himself as one of the top forwards in Italy with Inter Milan. The Argentine is coming off a superb 2021/2022 Serie A campaign where he scored 21 goals to help Inter win the Coppa Italia.
A versatile and well-rounded striker, Martinez combines pace, technical ability, and intelligent movement. He forms a lethal partnership in attack with Inter teammate Edin Dzeko, with the two strikers linking up superbly.
Martinez excels at getting shots off quickly in the box. His excellent technique allows him to fire off accurate shots from tight angles. The low center of gravity he possesses gives him good balance to hold off defenders.
Some of Lautaro’s standout qualities are his work rate and unselfishness. He contributes a lot defensively and is always looking to bring his teammates into the play. But when presented with goal-scoring opportunities, his finishing is clinical.
At both club and international level with Argentina, Lautaro Martinez has shown he is one of the most gifted young strikers in the game. Expect his stock to keep rising.
#8 Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina)
He may be in the later stages of his illustrious career at 35 years old, but Lionel Messi remains one of the best strikers on the planet. The Argentine maestro is now plying his trade for Inter Miami in the MLS after sensationally leaving Barcelona in 2021.
With 726 career goals for Barcelona, PSG, and Argentina, Messi is undoubtedly one of the greatest goalscorers of all time. His vision, creativity, dribbling skills, and lethal left foot make him almost impossible to defend against.
Though no longer as quick as he once was, Messi’s technical mastery allows him to still produce moments of magic. His trademark style of running with the ball at his feet before firing off a shot is a joy to watch.
In 2022, Messi reminded everyone of his enduring quality by leading Argentina to a World Cup triumph in Qatar. He scored 7 goals at the tournament and produced some vintage performances.
Now in the twilight of his career, Messi continues to influence matches with his impeccable attacking talents. He may pick and choose his moments more carefully these days, but Leo Messi still showcases the skills worthy of a top 10 striker ranking.
#7 Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr/Portugal)
One of the greatest goalscorers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his high standards well into his late 30s. CR7 recently made a shock move to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia after leaving Manchester United in 2022.
With 737 career goals for clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, along with 117 goals for Portugal, Ronaldo has proven himself to be an elite finisher for over 15 years.
Even at 37, Ronaldo remains in phenomenal physical condition. He possesses pace and power unmatched by almost any other player his age. His aerial ability and strength make him a constant threat on crosses, while his technique on either foot is sublime.
Ronaldo is excellent at finding space in the box and can score every type of goal – headers, volleys, tap-ins, solo efforts, free kicks. His movement and positioning inside the area are virtually unmatched.
While he may have lost a slight edge in his final season at Manchester United, Ronaldo showcased his enduring quality by scoring 6 goals for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup. He remains a striker to be feared.
#6 Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal/France)
After 5 successful seasons at Arsenal, Alexandre Lacazette returned to his former club Lyon in the summer of 2022. The experienced French striker is coming off a tough final campaign at Arsenal but has regained his form back in Ligue 1.
With 240 career goals for Lyon and Arsenal, Lacazette has proven himself to be a consistently lethal finisher. He is excellent at holding up the ball with his strength and link-up play. His vision and passing ability are also assets that allow him to bring teammates into the play.
But it is Lacazette’s versatile finishing that makes him stand out. He is clinical with either foot as well as his head. Some of his most memorable goals have been well-placed curlers from a distance that pick out the corners.
Strong in the air and skilled at battling defenders, Lacazette excels at creating space in tight areas to get shots off quickly. His low center of gravity gives him good balance and makes him difficult to dislodge when holding up play.
Back enjoying his soccer again with Lyon this season, Alexandre Lacazette earns his place among the world’s top strikers currently playing. Expect him to keep racking up goals in Ligue 1.
#5 Kylian Mbappe (PSG/France)
Already recognized as one of the best players in the world at just 23 years old, Kylian Mbappe is an elite modern striker. The French phenomenon is virtually unstoppable in his day, possessing a searing pace and sublime skills.
After winning the 2018 World Cup with France as a teenager, Mbappe became a global superstar at Paris Saint-Germain. His haul of 190 goals for PSG by the age of 23 underscores his predatory instincts and flashy style in front of goal.
Mbappe boasts incredible close control when dribbling at high speeds that few defenders can live with. His quick feet allow him to breeze past opponents and create shooting opportunities for himself. When those chances come, his finishing is lethal.
But Mbappe is no one-trick pony. He is excellent at linking up with teammates using his vision and passing chops. His runs off the ball into dangerous areas are also elite.
If Mbappe can continue to evolve his game, he is likely to dominate the sport for years to come. For now, his jaw-dropping skills earn him the #5 spot among the top strikers in world soccer.
#4 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona/Poland)
One of the most prolific goalscorers of his generation, Robert Lewandowski continues to dominate defenses even into his mid-30s. The Polish hitman has been terrorizing opponents for over a decade with Bayern Munich and now Barcelona.
With 581 career club goals and 78 goals for Poland, Lewandowski’s stats speak for themselves. His consistency over the years has been staggering. Some of his incredible goal-scoring feats include bagging 55 goals for Bayern in 2019/20 and 41 league goals the following season.
A very well-rounded striker, Lewandowski offers far more than just goals. His link-up play, creativity, vision, and passing ability make him the complete forward. He also possesses deceptively quick feet for a big man.
But it is his elite movement and positioning in the box that enables Lewandowski to find endless scoring opportunities. He simply has an innate ability to find space and finish chances with ruthless efficiency.
Even after joining Barcelona in 2022 at 34 years old, Lewandowski has kept scoring at an insane rate. He remains one of the most fearsome strikers in world football.
#3 Harry Kane (Bayern/England)
England captain Harry Kane has developed into one of the most complete strikers in world soccer over the last 5 years. Kane is the focal point of everything good in Tottenham’s attack with his brilliant finishing, link-up play, passing, vision, and work ethic.
With 284 goals already for Tottenham and 52 for England at just 29 years old, Kane boasts an incredible scoring rate. He has won the Premier League Golden Boot award three times, underlining his world-class consistency.
Kane is excellent at dropping deep and involving himself in the build-up play, sometimes acting like a number 10. His passing and crossing ability are top-notch for a striker.
But when chances fall to him in the box, Kane is equally adept at finding the back of the net in any situation. He scores just as many goals with his head as he does with his feet.
Few strikers in world football offer the well-rounded threat of Harry Kane. Tottenham’s number 10 is the complete package and one of the best players on the planet right now.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/France)
Over the past decade, Karim Benzema has established himself as one of the most gifted strikers in the world with Real Madrid. The Frenchman has enjoyed the best of his career lately, spearheading Real Madrid’s attack.
With over 320 goals for Los Blancos, Benzema has been a reliable scorer year after year. But he offers much more than just goals, acting as the creative fulcrum of the team with his immaculate link-up play, vision, passing, and dribbling abilities.
Benzema possesses exceptional technique and agility, allowing him to take on defenders one-on-one in tight spaces. His finishing with both feet is sublime, from long-range curlers to deft touches around the goalkeeper.
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner enjoyed his best season ever last campaign, scoring 44 goals in 46 games on Real Madrid’s road to Champions League glory. At 34 years old, Benzema is like a fine wine, getting better with age.
With his recent form and achievements, Karim Benzema has staked his claim as arguably the best striker on the planet right now.
#1 Erling Haaland (Man City/Norway)
The 22-year-old Norwegian goal machine, Erling Haaland, has taken the soccer world by storm since joining Manchester City in 2022. His otherworldly scoring rate in the Premier League has already made him the most feared striker in England.
Standing at a towering 6’4”, Haaland is a physical freak of nature. His blend of blistering pace, power, and athleticism makes him almost impossible for defenders to handle. He has scored goals in every way imaginable – headers, long-range rockets, solo runs, simple tap-ins.
Among Haaland’s greatest assets is his ability to find space and get into the right positions to score. He times his runs perfectly to get on the end of crosses and cut-backs in the box. His finishing is ice-cold when presented with the sight of a goal.
In just his first season at Manchester City, Haaland has already shattered numerous Premier League records. With 36 goals in 28 appearances, he is scoring at an unprecedented rate in England’s top flight.
The scary reality for opponents is that Haaland is only going to get better as he gains more experience. His potential is limitless, making him the current #1 striker in world soccer.
Conclusion
The strikers on this list represent the pinnacle of the center forward position in today’s game. Their combination of goal-scoring prowess, technical brilliance, physical abilities, and big-game mentality set them apart from the rest. While rankings are always subjective, these players have consistently performed at an elite level that justifies their reputation as the top 10 strikers in world football at the moment. Their skills make them capable of deciding any match and should be cherished by soccer fans across the globe. Whether it’s in club soccer or on the international stage, expect these lethal forwards to keep finding the back of the net and creating magic for years to come.
Related Post: The Top 10 Characteristics of a Great Striker in Soccer
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