Ranking the 7 best finishers in world football currently (2023)
In football, the importance of having good finishers cannot be overstated. Scoring goals is the ultimate objective of the game and the ability to finish chances is what separates the top players from the rest.
Good finishers possess a combination of technical skill, composure, and decision-making that allows them to convert even the most difficult chances into goals. They have the ability to read the game, anticipate where the ball will be and position themselves in a way that maximizes their chances of scoring.
A team with a good finisher is always a threat, as they can turn the game around with a single moment of brilliance. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best finishers in world football right now.
#7 Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Al-Nassr)
How can we write about the best finishers in world football and not include arguably the greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport?
His powers have waned a little in recent times. However, with his recent performances for Al-Nassr, where he has scored five goals in his past two games, he has shown that he still has it.
Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, and his finishing ability is a major reason for this acclaim. Ronaldo possesses a rare combination of power, precision and composure that allows him to score goals with ease, even in the most challenging of situations.
The 38-year-old possesses a great sense of positioning that enables him to find space in the penalty area and he can strike the ball with tremendous power and accuracy with either foot.
Ronaldo's finishing ability is not limited to just scoring goals from open play as he is also a clinical penalty taker. During his prime, he was also a reliable free-kick taker. His finishing ability has been a key factor in his success and has helped him score an incredible number of goals throughout his illustrious career.
#6 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
Kylian Mbappe is one of the biggest stars in football right now. At the age of 24, he has already accomplished a lot and is an absolute menace with the ball at his feet. Not only is Mbappe one of the quickest players in the world, but he is also one of the most lethal finishers in the beautiful game right now.
He finished the 2021-22 season as the top scorer in Ligue 1 and also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after scoring eight goals for France in the competition. The Frenchman is technically gifted and is capable of producing a wide range of strikes to bamboozle the goalkeeper.
He has scored 25 goals and provided six assists in 27 appearances in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain so far this term.
#5 Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Napoli)
Victor Osimhen has truly stepped up his game this season and is arguably the best finisher in Serie A right now. His goalscoring form has played a key role in Napoli's dominant form in the 2022-23 season.
The 24-year-old's finishing has undergone a telling transformation this term and that has put him on the radar of several top European clubs.
Osimhen has scored 18 goals and provided four assists in 22 appearances across all competitions for the Partenopei so far this season. The Nigeria international is one of the best young centre-forwards on the planet right now thanks to his blistering pace and composure inside the final third.
#4 Harry Kane (England/Tottenham Hotspur)
Harry Kane is one of the most lethal goalscorers in modern football, with a remarkable ability to consistently find the back of the net. Kane possesses a combination of technical skills, positional awareness and composure that make him a constant threat to opposing defenses.
He has an excellent first touch, which allows him to create space for himself and set up scoring opportunities. Kane is also a clinical finisher, with the ability to score with both feet, his head and also from a variety of different angles.
By virtue of his excellent game-reading ability, he is quite often in the right place at the right time to convert chances into goals. He has scored 19 goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham Hotspur so far this season.
Manchester United have been linked with both Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane during the transfer window. ✍️
Here is a closer look at how they match up📊🔴 https://t.co/ipaTqTRc15
#3 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema is one of the most well-rounded centre-forwards of his generation. Not only is the Frenchman a great finisher, but he is also excellent at bringing his teammates into play with his creativity and intelligent movement.
The 2021-22 season was Benzema's best campaign at an individual level. His exploits were central to Real Madrid's triumphant runs in La Liga and the Champions League. Benzema's performances helped him earn his first ever Ballon d'Or last year.
The 35-year-old has scored 14 goals and provided four assists in 22 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid so far this season.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Barcelona)
Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest strikers of the modern era. He is a wonderful finisher whose poaching ability and technical qualities make him one of the most dangerous marksmen of recent times.
Lewandowski has won the European Golden Shoe in the last two seasons and that reflects his almost unmatched ability to find the back of the net at a prolific rate. The 34-year-old left his old club Bayern Munich to join Barcelona last summer.
Despite switching clubs in the summer, Lewandowski's goalscoring form hasn't suffered. In 27 appearances across all competitions for the Catalans so far this term, Lewandowski has scored 23 goals and provided six assists.
#1 Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
With his freakish athletic ability and world-class finishing skills, Erling Haaland has already established himself as one of the finest strikers in the game at the age of 22. The Norway international left Borussia Dortmund to join Manchester City last summer.
He has taken the Premier League by storm this term and is the leading scorer in the English top flight by some distance. Haaland has already found the back of the net 26 times in 22 Premier League appearances so far this season. That includes four hat-tricks in his debut campaign in England.
He has a total of 32 goals and four assists in 30 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City so far this term.
#MCFC
Erling Haaland has scored 32 goals in 30 games as Manchester City player this season. 🤖🇳🇴 #MCFC
It’s also 26 goals in 22 Premier League games on his first season in England. https://t.co/FDLp0V7jqi