Of all positions on the pitch no positions define greatness quite like the striker. The ability to consistently find the back of the net, deliver under pressure, and carry the weight of expectation is what separates good forwards from true legends. Over the past two decades, the game has witnessed some of the most complete, ruthless, and iconic goal scorers in history. players whose names have become synonymous with success, dominance, and moments of pure magic.
But what truly makes a striker great? As Thierry Henry, regarded as one of the most complete forwards of his era, once explained:
“A perfect striker is more than goals — it’s about intelligence, movement, composure, and rising in the moments when it matters most.”
With that in mind, this ranking of the Best Strikers of the 21st Century isn’t based on goal tallies alone. Our evaluation is rooted in six key pillars:
Consistency — Sustained excellence over multiple seasons, not short bursts of form.
Goals Ratio — Clinical finishing and efficiency, measured by goals per game at the highest level.
Trophies — Major club and international honours that reflect impact and success.
Individual Brilliance and Award— Technical quality, moments of genius, and influence beyond raw stats.
League Competitiveness — The difficulty and standard of the leagues they performed in.
Club Size and Pressure — The weight of expectation playing for the world’s biggest clubs.
We’ve also considered how respected these players are among their peers – from legends, coaches, and rivals because greatness isn’t just measured in numbers, but in the legacy they leave behind.
10. Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)
Career Stats: 688 Games, 302 Goals, 121 Assists, 18 Trophies
Clubs Played For: Le Mans, Guingamp, Marseille, Chelsea, Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasaray, Montreal Impact, Phoenix Rising
Few strikers embodied the “big-game” mentality like Didier Drogba. His reputation as a decisive, fearless forward was cemented by an incredible record — 10 goals in 10 finals for Chelsea, many of them match-winners. He was also the first African player to score 100 Premier League goals, a milestone that reflects his consistency and quality in one of the world’s toughest leagues.
Drogba’s playing style combined incredible physical strength, aerial dominance, and lethal finishing. But it wasn’t just brute force — his technical ability and intelligence made him unpredictable and dangerous at the highest level.
Even his opponents couldn’t help but respect him. As Rio Ferdinand famously admitted:
“Playing against Drogba was a nightmare. Strength, intelligence, technique — he had everything. One of the toughest strikers I faced.”
Drogba’s legacy isn’t just built on goals, but on delivering when it mattered most — a defining quality of the game’s greatest strikers.
9. David Villa (Spain)
Career Stats: 729 Games, 367 Goals, 89 Assists, 16 Trophies
Clubs Played For: Sporting Gijón, Real Zaragoza, Valencia, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, New York City FC, Melbourne City, Vissel Kobe
David Villa was the definition of a complete forward, blending sharp movement, technical brilliance, and clinical finishing. Though not physically imposing, his intelligence, timing, and ability to exploit space made him a constant threat to defenders at the highest level.
Following Spain’s historic 2010 World Cup triumph, his teammate Andrés Iniesta described Villa perfectly:
“Villa was a constant threat. He always found space, and in front of goal, he was ice-cold. A complete forward.”
Villa, Spain’s second all-time top scorer, was renowned for his two-footed finishing, sharp positioning, and composure in big moments. He could score from inside or outside the box and had a reputation for delivering on football’s biggest stages — whether in La Liga, international tournaments, or across different continents.
READ MORE: Top 10 Players with the Best Ball Control in the 21st Century
8. Sergio Agüero (Argentina)
Career stats: 685 Games, 385 Goals, 113 Assists, 21 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Independiente, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona.
Sergio Agüero has always earned praise from legends, coaches, and teammates. He’s widely regarded as one of the signings that transformed the history of Manchester City into the powerhouse we know today.
Let’s hear what the legends say about him:
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City Manager):
“Sergio is a legend, the best striker this club has ever had. His numbers speak for themselves — he is irreplaceable.”
Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina Teammate):
“Kun is one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen. His ability to change a game in an instant is incredible.”
Alan Shearer (Premier League Legend):
“Agüero is one of the greatest strikers to ever play in the Premier League — pure class, deadly in the box, and his goal record is phenomenal.”
Agüero won the Premier League Golden Boot once and holds the record for the most Premier League hat-tricks in history. He is Manchester City’s all-time top scorer, the fastest player to score 100 Premier League goals for a single club, and the foreign player with the most goals for a single Premier League club.
7. Thierry Henry (France)
Career stats: 794 Games, 360 Goals, 174 Assists, 21 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Monaco, Juventus, Arsenal, Barcelona, New York Red Bulls.
One of the greatest strikers of his generation, Thierry Henry had everything — pace, technique, power, and movement. His ability to score from anywhere made him one of the most feared forwards in world football.
Zinedine Zidane (Football Legend):
“Thierry Henry is probably the best striker in the world. He has pace, power, movement, and the ability to score goals from anywhere. You simply can’t defend against him.”
Henry won the European Golden Boot twice while at Arsenal , was the Premier League’s top scorer four times, and was named the league’s best player on two occasions. He is widely regarded as the greatest striker ever to play in the Premier League.
6. Harry Kane (England)
Career stats: 607 Games, 390 Goals, 105 Assists, 1 Career Trophy.
Clubs played for: Tottenham Hotspur, Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City, Leicester City, Bayern Munich.
Harry Kane finally got his hands on silverware in Germany in 2025, ending a 33-year wait for a major trophy in his career. Despite his outstanding individual achievements, Kane was often overlooked until he left his boyhood club, Tottenham, to lift his first major trophies.
In his debut season at Bayern Munich, Kane won the European Golden Boot. Before that, he claimed the top scorer award at the 2018 World Cup, multiple Premier League Golden Boots, and the Euro 2024 Golden Boot.
Kane is famous for his clinical finishing with both feet, his aerial dominance, and his ability to score from all areas of the pitch. Beyond goalscoring, he’s highly respected for his playmaking abilities — often dropping deep to link up play, delivering precise passes, and creating assists. His vision and technical quality are rare for a traditional No.9.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden)
Career stats: 827 Games, 493 Goals, 203 Assists, 32 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Malmö FF, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy.
Zlatan doesn’t need anyone to declare him the best. he knows it, and the stats back it up. The towering Swede played for elite clubs across Spain, England, France, the Netherlands, and Italy, dominating at every stop.
Zlatan doesn’t score tap-ins — his goals are masterpieces. Renowned for his unique blend of physical dominance, technical brilliance, and outrageous creativity, standing at 6’5” (1.95m), he possesses rare agility and balance for his size, which allows him to pull off acrobatic finishes, volleys, and bicycle kicks that have become his trademark.
Zlatan won the Serie A top scorer award twice and claimed the Ligue 1 top scorer title three times. In 2013, he won the FIFA Puskás Award for his outrageous overhead kick against England during a friendly match in Stockholm on November 14, 2012 , one of the most iconic goals in football history.
READ MORE: Top 10 Best Managers in Football of the 21st Century (2025)
4. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Career stats: 754 Games, 368 Goals, 21 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Real Madrid, Leganés, Espanyol, Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea, Everton, Sampdoria, Antalyaspor, Konyaspor, Qatar SC.
When a legend like Thierry Henry — his former Arsenal teammate and respected pundit — describes Eto’o as:
“One of the best strikers in the history of the game,”
We all know exactly what that means. Eto’o was blessed with two major weapons — devastating pace and lethal finishing. His blistering speed, especially on counterattacks, made it almost impossible for defenders to keep up. In front of goal, Eto’o was ice-cold, famous for his clinical finishing and his signature curling shots to the far post.
Eto’o thrived under pressure — a true big-game player for both club and country. He won two Africa Cup of Nations titles with Cameroon and was the tournament’s top scorer twice. When it mattered most, Eto’o delivered.
3. Karim Benzema (France)
Career stats: 858 Games, 458 Goals, 193 Assists, 33 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Lyon, Real Madrid, Al-Ittihad.
Karim Benzema reached the pinnacle of world football in 2022 when he was crowned the Ballon d’Or winner. His victory is still considered one of the most dominant in the award’s history — Benzema won by a margin of 356 votes over runner-up Sadio Mané, the second-largest winning margin ever.
But Benzema’s greatness goes beyond personal accolades. He is the kind of striker who works selflessly for the team, always contributing to the collective, even now in the Saudi Pro League. His leadership helped Al-Ittihad win two trophies, including the league title, ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and Al Hilal SFC.
While he never claimed the European Golden Boot, Benzema has been top scorer in the Club World Cup, Ligue 1, the UEFA Champions League, and La Liga. His combination of technical brilliance, intelligence, and finishing ability places him among the game’s all-time greats.
2. Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
Career stats: 859 Games, 560 Goals, 158 Assists, 38 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Delta Warsaw, Znicz Pruszków, Lech Poznań, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Barcelona.
Robert Lewandowski is considered one of the greatest players never to win the Ballon d’Or — though that hardly diminishes his incredible legacy. He’s a two-time European Golden Boot winner, a two-time FIFA Best Men’s Player, and a UEFA Player of the Year.
For both club and country, Lewandowski has been a relentless, clinical striker. His presence in the box is a nightmare for defenders — he buries chances, scores from any range, and combines his finishing with aerial dominance thanks to his physical presence.
Many believe Lewandowski should have won the Ballon d’Or in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the award — denying him what many saw as a deserved, inevitable triumph, much like Benzema’s dominant win in 2022.
Lewandowski’s goal-scoring record speaks for itself: 101 goals in 147 appearances for Barcelona, and a jaw-dropping 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern Munich. He’s living proof that age is just a number, continuing to perform at the highest level well into his mid-30s.
1. Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
Career stats: 829 Games, 506 Goals, 271 Assists, 23 Career Trophies.
Clubs played for: Groningen, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Club Nacional, Inter Miami.
Luis Suárez has delivered everywhere he’s played — both through individual brilliance and collective success. He won the European Golden Boot twice during the prime era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo — once while at Liverpool and again at Barcelona, proving his class on the biggest stages.
Many thought Suárez was finished when Barcelona let him go, but he silenced the critics by leading Atlético Madrid to the La Liga title the very next season. He scored 21 goals and provided 3 assists in just 32 appearances, playing a decisive role in their championship win.
In 2024, Suárez reunited with his old friend Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. At the age of 37, he was still delivering — scoring 25 goals and providing 12 assists in 37 appearances in Major League Soccer. Even at 38, Suárez remains at the top of his game, defying age with his hunger, determination, and unmatched goal-scoring instincts.
NOTABLE MENTIONS
|
Rank |
Full Name |
|
11 |
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar |
|
12 |
Gonzalo Higuaín |
|
13 |
Miroslav Klose |
|
14 |
Robin van Persie |
|
15 |
Edinson Cavani |
|
16 |
Edin Džeko |
|
17 |
Romelu Lukaku |
|
18 |
Erling Haaland |
|
19 |
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang |
|
20 |
Lautaro Martínez |
All statistics in this article are sourced from Transfermarkt and were accurate and up to date at the time of publication.
