Ranking the 8 best forwards in world football since 2020
Modern forwards have revolutionized the game with their dynamic style of play. They no longer limit themselves to just scoring goals. They actively participate in build-up play, dropping deep to link with midfielders and creating space for their teammates.
Their versatility allows them to drift wide, overload flanks and cut inside to shoot. As a result, they pose a constant threat to defenders.
Additionally, their pressing and defensive work contributes significantly to their team's overall strategy, making them complete players who are essential in today's fast-paced and multifaceted football landscape.
Of late, we have seen plenty of forwards perform at the highest level even into their 30s. In fact, some of the best forwards in world football in the last three years have been veterans of the game.
Without wasting time, let's take a look at the eight best forwards in world football since 2020.
#8 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the greatest goalscorer in the history of the beautiful game. Ronaldo's endurance and longevity at the highest level is nothing short of phenomenal. He is now 38 years old but is still firing on all cylinders for the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo won the Golden Boot at the 2020 Euros. He also made an emphatic return to Manchester United in the summer of 2021 and scored 24 goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils in the 2021-22 season.
He is the current leading goalscorer in men's international football and is one of the greatest forwards of the modern era.
#7 Harry Kane
Harry Kane is one of the most prolific and consistent forwards of his generation. The Bayern Munich centre-forward possesses a well-rounded skillset which enables him to be as adept at orchestrating play inside the final third as he is at scoring goals.
Kane has scored plenty of goals for club and country since 2020. But he has no silverware to show for it. He is expected to change that this season now that he has joined perennial winners Bayern Munich.
He won the Premier League Golden Boot and the Premier League Playmaker of the Season Award in the 2020-21 season.
#6 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah has been a pain in the neck for Premier League defenders since joining Liverpool in 2017. He has terrorized defences with his blistering pace, excellent close control, finishing skills and an underrated ability to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates.
Salah is one of the most dynamic attackers of the modern era. He was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year in the 2021-22 season. He also shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Son Heung-min that same campaign in addition to winning the Premier League Playmaker of the Season award as well.
Salah has also been in incredible goalscoring form of late and has scored more than 30 goals across all competitions in each of the last three seasons for Liverpool.
#5 Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema's exceptional qualities and dynamic style of play have enabled him to don a variety of roles in attack for Real Madrid during his illustrious time at the club. He was one of their most influential players in the last decade when they won five Champions League titles.
Benzema finally became the main man at Real Madrid following Ronaldo's departure to Juventus in 2018. The Frenchman became the main goalscoring outlet for Real Madrid subsequently and it's a responsibility he shouldered in admirable fashion.
The 2021-22 season was arguably the greatest season of his career at an individual level. With his incredible and prolific goalscoring form, Benzema fired Real Madrid to La Liga and Champions League glory and also won the 2022 Ballon d'Or for his exploits.
#4 Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland just might be the best striker on the planet right now. Haaland took the Bundesliga by storm in the second half of the 2019-20 season. He announced his arrival on the big stage by scoring a 23-minute hat-trick on his debut for Dortmund against FC Augsburg.
He hasn't looked back since and has been extremely prolific in front of goal. Haaland joined Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and broke numerous goalscoring records in his debut season in England. His goals were critical to Manchester City winning the continental treble.
Haaland won the European Golden Shoe last season. Since 2020, he has picked up numerous individual awards as well.
He was named the 2020-21 Bundesliga Player of the Season, the 2022-23 Premier League Player of the Season, the 2022-23 UEFA Men's Player of the Year and the 2022-23 PFA Players' Player of the Year.
#3 Robert Lewandowski
The common consensus among football fans is that Robert Lewandowski should have ideally won the Ballon d'Or twice since the start of 2020. The Ballon d'Or was cancelled in 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lewandowski had just fired Bayern Munich to a continental treble in the 2019-20 season with his incredible goalscoring form and would have been the favourite to win it. He then broke numerous goalscoring records in the subsequent season (2020-21), including the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign (41).
The iconic Polish striker won the European Golden Shoe in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. He was also named the Best FIFA Men's Player in 2020 and 2021. Lewandowski also picked up awards like the 2019-20 UEFA Men's Player of the Year, and the 2019-20 Bundesliga Player of the Season awards among others.
#2 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time. Despite crossing into his mid-30s, Messi has been in incredible form since 2020 and continues to assert himself as one of the best forwards in the world.
His dribbling skills, vision and playmaking abilities have remained unparalleled, making him a complete forward who can both score and create goals with ease. Messi fired Argentina to glory in the 2021 Copa America, sharing the Golden Boot and winning the Golden Ball at the tournament.
With seven goals and three assists, Messi won the Golden Ball at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after firing Argentina to glory on the grandest stage of them all. He was in great goalscoring and playmaking form for PSG last term, scoring 21 goals and providing 20 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for them.
Messi won the 2021 Ballon d'Or and is widely tipped to win a record-extending eighth one this year.
#1 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe is expected to wreak havoc every time he steps onto a football pitch. The winner of the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup has been the most consistent and dynamic forward in the world since 2020.
Mbappe has been in a league of his own since breaking onto the scene as a maverick young winger during his time at AS Monaco. He is only 24 but is already the most intimidating forward on the planet and has been raking in awards like they are collectibles in a video game.
He won the 2022 FIFA World Cup Silver Ball and was also the top scorer in the Ligue 1 in the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He was also named the Ligue 1 Player of the Year in the 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.