Who are the best No.9s in world football right now? The top three pick themselves, but deciding the order is less straightforward. And who are the closest challengers to the elite goalscorers at Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich?
Before we begin, a quick clarification. This list is dedicated exclusively to strikers and recognised No.9s. That means no wingers, wide forwards or attacking players who drift into central areas — this is all about the specialists leading the line.
With that in mind, here’s our ranking of the 10 best centre-forwards in world football right now.
10. Kai Havertz
We had Viktor Gyokeres in previous editions of this ranking, but we’re going to have to follow Mikel Arteta’s lead and boot him out for a fit and firing Havertz.
The German is less of a proper striker than every other name in this list, having almost done a Thomas Muller ‘Raumdeuter’ impression in recent weeks. But as tribute acts go, this is top tier.
Havertz might not be as prolific as Gyokeres, but he’s a considerably more complete and talented footballer. The Gunners’ attack looks miles more fluid and functional when he’s leading the line.
9. Julian Alvarez
A bit of an enigma, Alvarez.
His tendency to drift out of games last season, particularly in the less glamorous La Liga fixtures, was difficult to ignore. Eight league goals was a poor return for a player reportedly valued at €150million.
But there’s something undeniably alluring about the Argentinian. His big-game pedigree is established, and he’s slowly but surely starting to look more like the player valued so highly.
There have been a few bumps along the way. He sacked his agent, apologised to Atletico supporters after the transfer speculation, and hasn’t exactly been prolific in front of goal this season. But there are signs of life.
8. Mikel Oyarzabal
There’s a perception that all Spain need to become an unstoppable force is a genuine superstar up front. That it was only a lack of cutting edge that stopped them blowing teams away at the World Cup.
That’s a little harsh on Oyarzabal. He scored the winner in the Euro 2024 final, finished the 2026 World Cup with five goals – enough to win the Golden Boot in previous editions – and has 20 goals in his last 26 Spain appearances. That’s an outstanding return.
Yet Oyarzabal seems almost allergic to superstardom. Had he chased bigger moves and built more of a public profile, perhaps he’d be leading the line for one of Europe’s elite. Instead, he’s happily stayed with his boyhood club. Fair play to him.
7. Victor Osimhen
One of the best centre-forward in world football plays in the Turkish Super Lig. What a world.
Save for the obvious exceptions at the top of this list, there’s arguably a dearth of unquestionably world-class centre-forwards in the game today. The wild transfer fees being mooted for certain names is evidence enough of that.
But we look at Osimhen and we wonder how he’s not leading the line for one of Europe’s top clubs. His Champions League performances against Liverpool and Juventus last season were those of a striker ready for a Barcelona or a Manchester United.
This summer’s transfer window came and went for Osimhen, but perhaps 2027 will be his time. He’s scored nine goals in just eight Turkish Super Lig appearances this season.
6. Lautaro Martinez
It wasn’t to be for Martinez in the World Cup final. Two enforced changes at centre-back left the Inter striker stranded on the bench. After his decisive interventions against Egypt, Switzerland and England, the feeling of ‘what if?’ will linger over Argentina for a long time.
Forty-two goals for Argentina. One hundred and eighty-one goals for Inter. Their fourth and third all-time top scorers, respectively. He’s won three Scudetti, winning the Capocannoniere award for Serie A’s top scorer in the last two, and has helped lead the Nerazzurri to two Champions League finals.
You get the sense that El Toro doesn’t quite get the respect he deserves, but that’s the record of an elite-level bagsman.
5. Ousmane Dembele
We persevered with Dembele in our wingers ranking for far too long. Eventually, we had to admit defeat and move him across here.
He still feels like a winger to us, spiritually speaking, but the Ballon d’Or and back-to-back Champions League triumphs suggest Luis Enrique might know what he’s doing. Dembele has been the perfect centre-forward for the way PSG want to play: mobile, unpredictable, technically brilliant and really hard working.
There’s a strong argument for ranking him higher on the strength of those achievements alone. But persistent injury problems and a lack of availability for regular domestic starts make that difficult.
Keep producing on the biggest European nights, though, and he’ll remain in the top five.
4. Raphinha
Like Dembele, Raphinha has reinvented himself and is absolutely thriving. He’s a clinical finisher, his movement is outstanding, and he’s setting the tone for Barcelona with his relentless pressing and leadership from the front. It begs the question – why had no-one thought of this before?
His place at No.4 in our ranking also throws up an interesting debate around form, recency bias and reputation. Given what the three players above him have been doing for years, we simply can’t justify putting Raphinha ahead of any of them. But it’s remarkable that a player who’s only been operating in this role for three months has already climbed this high.
That’s a testament to his otherworldly form and extraordinary output for Barcelona this season. Samuel Eto’o reborn. Let’s see whether he can sustain it, but had Raphinha been doing this over the course of a whole career, we’d be talking about one of the greatest centre-forwards of all time. Purely on 2026-27 form, you’d have him top.
3. Erling Haaland
The top three sit in a league of their own. There’s barely anything separating them. You could easily argue they’re the three best players on the planet, irrespective of position.
Haaland is third, but that’s no slight. He’s already scored nine Premier League goals this season, and another Golden Boot looks all but inevitable.
His minimal touch maps might suggest a limited footballer, but that misses the point entirely. He’s the ultimate penalty-box predator, a goalscoring machine who has maintained absurd numbers everywhere he’s played, from Salzburg and Dortmund to Manchester City and Norway.
At 26, he’s already entering all-timer territory. There’s an argument that no centre-forward since Gerd Muller has embodied the art of goalscoring quite so purely.
God knows what City’s future holds, but Haaland’s next chapter will be fascinating.
2. Kylian Mbappe
“If you never watched Ronaldo Nazario, this is pretty much what it was like.”
One of our favourite posts from the World Cup, and it’s difficult to argue with the sentiment. Mbappe is an extraordinary footballer, combining R9’s explosive acceleration and devastating finishing with a frankly ridiculous consistency in front of goal.
He’s just finished second in the Ballon d’Or, has already scored 16 times for Real Madrid this season, including a brace in their Clasico victory, and is showing encouraging signs of adapting in a better-organised Madrid side.
The collective questions haven’t entirely disappeared, but the individual brilliance remains. Could 2027 finally be the year Mbappe gets everything he’s been waiting for in Madrid?
1. Harry Kane
Goals aren’t the be-all and end-all, but they go a pretty long way if we’re discussing centre-forwards.
And Kane scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich last season. To put that in context, it’s more than Cristiano Ronaldo ever managed in his peak.
He claimed a second European Golden Shoe, and capped off the campaign scoring a hat-trick in Bayern’s DFB Pokal final victory. Six goals at the World Cup wasn’t a bad return either.
Not only did Kane outscore Haaland and Mbappe last season, but he did it while functioning in a collective context, facilitating play, and often dropping deep to spread balls about like a world-class playmaker.
Kane hasn’t been spectacular of late, but he’s still scored in each of his last five appearances for club and country. Consistent, almost understated, excellence.
It was enough to earn him the Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Englishman in 25 years and the first Bundesliga player this century to claim the prize. A thoroughly deserved recognition of a footballer whose talents extend far beyond putting the ball in the net.
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