Top 5 strikers in the world right now
The game of football is won by scoring more goals than the opposition. Thus, having strikers capable of bulging the net on a regular basis go a long way in establishing supremacy over the opposition.
At the World Cup this summer, a number of centre-forwards hogged the limelight with Harry Kane finally emerging with the ‘Golden Boot’. While the strikers are primarily tasked with putting the ball into the back of the net, they also need to link-up the play and bring their teammates into the game.
A striker can boast of different attributes. While some function solely as a ‘target man’, there are some strikers who pride themselves on being the ideal ‘false nine’. However, the best in the business are those who are able to adapt to any system and keep scoring consistently.
Through this article, we would look at the best strikers, plying their trade across the globe. The list includes players who are essentially centre-forwards. Thus, the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Salah haven’t been considered.
The players that have made the cut are those who have come up with the goods, whenever needed, for their teams.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the premier frontmen in the game.
#5 Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain)
Edinson Cavani moved to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2013 after a fruitful spell in Naples. In his three seasons at Napoli, he scored 78 goals in the Serie A.
Despite his goal-scoring pedigree, he had to play second-fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG. It was only after Zlatan’s departure in 2016 that he started to show PSG what he was capable of.
In the two seasons since then, he has scored 63 goals in Ligue 1 in addition to 15 goals in the Champions League. He had a good World Cup in Russia as well and scored 3 goals in 4 games, which included a sumptuous brace against Portugal in the Round of 16.
Cavani is a very good player with his back to the goal and creates space for his teammates to exploit. He is equally adept at finishing with his head or his feet. Though he misses the odd chance, he makes up for it by scoring bags of goals.
Cavani has been a consistent performer for his club and for Uruguay. He is a well-rounded striker and would have been higher on this list if not for his tendency to miss a few chances. Thus, he ranks as the 5th best striker in the world.