Welcome to Part 8 of our series of the Ten Best and this week, we come to the end of our football-based Ten Best with a look at the best strikers in the world at the moment.
I debated whether or not to break this section down into players who play as wide strikers, such as Sadio Mane or Mo Salah, and those who play as a more orthodox central striker, such as Robert Lewandowski or Harry Kane.
While that makes sense for players like them, it does mean that I’d need to make a decision on where some players, who can play both positions and do regularly, fit in. is Mbappe, or Ronaldo a wide striker or central striker? They can play both roles and have done for many years.
So, I thought in the end, it was best if I just treated them all as attacking players who tend to play anywhere along the front line.
Now while that does simplify things, it also makes things a lot tougher. I could have picked around 20 players quite easily for this list and justified them being in the top ten. In addition, I am picking players that are the best at this present moment, which means that some top stars with incredible stats and who have been the best players in the world, may be lower down the list than you would expect.
A lot of these players feature in fans bets for Player of the Year or Leading Goalscorer awards in their domestic competitions, so if you enjoy betting like that then bet365 Sport offers an extensive range of bets.
If you are looking to watch the latest football action, don’t forget to check out the updated bet365 live streaming schedule.
So let’s now begin our look at the top strikers and wide forwards playing in the world at the moment.
At the moment, there are two clear contenders for the best front man in world football and
given his form in front of goal and also in assisting team mates, Liverpool’s Mo Salah is the man that I feel is just edging the top position. Salah has been sensational for Liverpool this season, scoring 15 goals and assisting in 9 others, both top of the rankings in the EPL and his importance to Liverpool and Egypt cannot be overstated.
In terms of goalscoring form, nobody compares to Robert Lewandowski over the last few years. Admittedly his total is enhanced by playing some pretty average opponents in the Bundesliga, who Bayern regularly score plenty against, but he has been in superb form in the top European competitions too and should have won the Ballon D’or this year.
The French youngster is likely to be the player, along with another on this list, that inherits the mantle of the world’s best player in years to come. He’s producing some stellar form for Paris St Germain despite reports that he wants to leave the club for a fresh challenge. A major talent who is only likely to improve in the coming years and top this list.
Ever since Ronaldo left Real Madrid, Benzema has taken on the mantle of being the main goalscoring threat for Real and has done so superbly well. His form has earned him a recall for France where he was instrumental in France winning last year’s Nations Cup and progressing through to the World Cup Finals where they will defend the title they won in Russia next December in Qatar.
Another of the fast emerging new talents on this list. Haaland’s season has been beset by a few injury problems from time to time but he has still produced stunning numbers when he has been fit and able to play for club and country. A powerful, fast and skilful striker who is also being courted by a number of European Football’s biggest clubs.
A couple of years ago, Ronaldo would have topped this list and while he is still playing to an exceptionally high level for club and country, there is no doubt that he isn’t hitting the same heights he did when in his prime. He’s still one of the world’s best and one of the best ever players but despite solid numbers, they are not as spectacular as they have been when he was at his best.
Another striker who is getting on in years but still producing the goods for Atletico Madrid when he’s fit. On his day, Suarez was up there with the very best but as the years catch up with him he has lost half a yard of pace, but his finishing ability and skill with the ball at his feet remains undiminished.
Harry Kane should be higher up this list, but he has had a relatively poor season in the Premier League so far for Tottenham and has only recently started scoring goals on a regular basis again. It seems his head was turned in the summer when he sought a move away from Spurs. A player who has the skill and potential to break into the top five on this list comfortably if he can find his best form.
Sadio Mane may play second-fiddle to Mo Salah for Liverpool, but his importance to the team
cannot be overstated and equally, his contribution in terms of goals scored, chances created and his work ethic make him an ideal partner for Salah down the opposite wing. A fantastic player who on his day can be a match winner.
One of the most hard-working players on this list, Son has made a huge success of his time at Tottenham since signing from Leverkusen and has made himself a regular in the Spurs first team, scoring vital goals and plenty of them in his time at the club. When he and Kane are in tandem, Spurs always look a much better and more dangerous team.
There were a whole raft of players who could have gone on this list, including numerous players I selected for last week’s attacking midfielders top ten, but players that just missed out on the top ten included Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Eden Hazard (Real Madrid), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Paulo Dybala (Juventus), Angel Di Maria (Paris St Germain), Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich), Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich), Memphis Depay (Barcelona), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid) and Ansu Fati (Barcelona).
Check out out our other Top 10 Lists from Ian John:
Bet365 Bonus Code, Sports, Casino and Poker Sign up offers and News - All contents are © 2024 Bonus Code Poker
18+ Worried about your gambling? Gamcare
When the fun stops – STOP!
