Best Center Forwards in the World 2024: In football, the attacking position is very important, and we want to make a list of the best forwards in the world. We know that we can’t include every talented player, but we’ll focus on selecting the most determined ones.
URDUSPORT SURVEY
[ays_poll id=29]
In the past, there were some amazing center forwards who were really good at scoring goals, keeping the ball, and helping their teammates to score. They are remembered as some of the best players in football history.
Best Players In The World By Position
How do we decide who the best center forwards in the world are?
When deciding who the best center forwards are, we look at many different things. Of course, scoring goals is important, but we also consider other things like how well they help their teammates score, how they defend, and how they help their team attack. By looking at all these things, we can see how skilled a striker is.
| Goals Scored | 60% |
| Assists | 30% |
| Impact on the Game | 30% |
Best Center Forwards in the World 2024
In this ranking, we do include attacking players who are not pure center forwards but are attacking players.
20. Julián Álvarez
- Date of Birth/Age: Jan 31, 2000 (23)
- Place of Birth: Argentina Calchín
- Height: 1,70 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Julian Alvarez is a young soccer player from Argentina who has not yet had the opportunity to show his skills in international games. He is seen as a promising player for the future. He is 23 years old and played an important role in Argentina’s success in the World Cup by scoring 4 goals during the tournament.
In the 2022/23 season, Julian Alvarez played for Manchester City F.C. and did well. He scored 17 goals and assisted 5 times in 49 games. At first, he was a backup player, but he played so well that he might get more chances to play in the future.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 31 | 9 | 1 |
| Champions League | 10 | 3 | 2 |
| FA Cup | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 1 | – |
| Community Shield | 1 | 1 | – |
| TOTAL | 49 | 17 | 5 |
19. Richarlison
- Date of Birth/Age: May 10, 1997 (25)
- Place of Birth: Brazil Nova Venécia
- Height: 1,84 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
According to Everton’s manager Ancelotti, Richarlison is an excellent soccer player who can perform various roles on the field and works hard during games. Ancelotti stated that Richarlison possesses the strength of a midfielder, along with speed and impressive goal-scoring abilities. In summary, Richarlison is an outstanding all-around player.
In the 2022/23 season, Richarlison played in 35 games for Tottenham Hotspur and helped his team by scoring 3 goals and giving 4 assists. He’s known for being fast, good with the ball, and able to score goals.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 27 | 1 | 4 |
| Champions League | 6 | 2 | – |
| FA Cup | 1 | – | – |
| EFL Cup | 1 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 35 | 3 | 4 |
18. Marcus Thuram
- Date of Birth/Age: Aug 6, 1997 (25)
- Place of Birth: Italy Parma
- Height: 1,92 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Marcus Thuram is a skilled soccer player who plays in the center-forward position. He has displayed his exceptional abilities in several games and has earned a reputation as a standout player. Many individuals consider him to be among the top center-forwards in the World at the moment.
In the 2022/23 season, Thuram played for Borussia Monchengladbach and did pretty well. He scored 16 goals and helped with 7 assists in 32 games in all the competitions.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundesliga | 30 | 13 | 6 |
| DFB-Pokal | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 32 | 16 | 7 |
17. Ollie Watkins
- Date of Birth/Age: Dec 30, 1995 (27)
- Place of Birth: England Torquay
- Height: 1,80 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Aston Villa paid £28 million in 2020 to sign Ollie Watkins, which was the most they had ever paid for a player. He’s a very good center-forward and has an impressive career so far, especially during his time playing for Aston Villa in the 2020/2021 season.
In the 2022/2023 season, Ollie Watkins played in 40 games for Aston Villa and scored 16 goals. He also helped his teammates by making 6 assists.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 37 | 15 | 6 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 1 | – |
| FA Cup | 1 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 40 | 16 | 6 |
16. Amine Gouiri
- Date of Birth/Age: Feb 16, 2000 (23)
- Place of Birth: France Bourgoin-Jallieu
- Height: 1,81 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Amine Gouiri is a center-forward who currently plays for Stade Rennais FC, and there is a lot of optimism about his prospects. He has already displayed considerable potential during his career, and many believe that he will continue to develop and become an exceptional player.
In the 2022/23 season, Gouiri played in 47 games for Stade Rennais FC and scored 17 goals. He also helped his teammates by providing 8 assists. He’s also known as one of the most promising young talents in soccer.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ligue 1 | 36 | 15 | 5 |
| Europa League | 7 | 2 | 3 |
| UECL Qualifiers | 2 | – | – |
| Coupe de France | 2 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 47 | 17 | 8 |
15. Rasmus Højlund
- Date of Birth/Age: Feb 4, 2003 (20)
- Place of Birth: Denmark Copenhagen
- Height: 1,91 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Rasmus Højlund is a Danish professional soccer player who currently plays as a center-forward for Atalanta BC. He’s usually considered to be one of the best center-forwards in the world.
In the 2022/23 season, Højlund played in 42 games for Atalanta BC and scored 16 goals. He also helped his teammates by giving 7 assists.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 32 | 9 | 4 |
| Bundesliga | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Champions League Qu. | 2 | 1 | – |
| Italy Cup | 2 | 1 | – |
| ÖFB-Cup | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 42 | 16 | 7 |
14. Ivan Toney
- Date of Birth/Age: Mar 16, 1996 (27)
- Place of Birth: England Northampton
- Height: 1,85 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Ivan Toney is an English soccer player who plays as a center-forward for Brentford in the English Premier League. He’s had a really good career so far, especially during the 2020/2021 season.
In the 2022/2023 season, Toney played 35 games for Brentford in all competitions and scored 21 goals. He also helped his teammates by giving 5 assists.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 33 | 20 | 4 |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 35 | 21 | 5 |
13. Jonathan David
- Date of Birth/Age: Jan 14, 2000 (23)
- Place of Birth: United States Brooklyn, New York
- Height: 1,75 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Jonathan David is a Canadian soccer player who started scoring goals regularly when he was only 18 years old, after his debut for Gent. He scored 12, 18, 13, and 15 goals in his first four full league seasons. His ability to score goals was important in helping Lille win the Ligue 1 title in his first season in France. He has been in great form for Les Dogues in the last two years, making him one of the best strikers in the world.
In the 2022/2023 season, Jonathan David had an outstanding performance, scoring 26 goals and providing 4 assists in 26 league appearances for Lille. He’s a skilled striker who can use both feet and adapt to different positions on the field. His impressive performance has put him on the radar of top clubs for a potential transfer in the near future.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ligue 1 | 37 | 24 | 4 |
| Coupe de France | 3 | 2 | – |
| TOTAL | 40 | 26 | 4 |
12. Gonçalo Ramos
- Date of Birth/Age: Jun 20, 2001 (21)
- Place of Birth: Portugal Olhão
- Height: 1,85 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Gonçalo Ramos is a young center-forward from Portugal who plays for Benfica in the Primeira Liga. He has shown a lot of potential in his career so far, especially during the 2020/2021 season.
In the 2022/2023 season, Ramos played in 47 matches for Benfica and scored an impressive 27 goals while also providing 12 assists. His performance was outstanding, and he played a vital role in his team’s success.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liga Portugal | 30 | 19 | 7 |
| Champions League | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| Champions League Qu. | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Taça de Portugal | 2 | – | – |
| Allianz Cup | 1 | 1 | – |
| TOTAL | 47 | 27 | 12 |
11. Darwin Núñez
- Date of Birth/Age: Jun 24, 1999 (23)
- Place of Birth: Uruguay Artigas
- Height: 1,87 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Liverpool bought a new soccer player from Uruguay in the summer to replace another player, Sadio Mane, who went to Bayern Munich. The new player hasn’t played very well yet, but he did score a nice goal by kicking the ball backward in the first game of the season against Fulham.
In the 2022/2023 season, Núñez played in 42 matches for Liverpool FC scored 15 goals, and helped with 4 other goals. He’s still young, but he’s already been doing well in his career and has the potential to keep getting better.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 29 | 9 | 3 |
| Champions League | 8 | 4 | – |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 | – |
| EFL Cup | 2 | – | 1 |
| Community Shield | 1 | 1 | – |
| TOTAL | 42 | 15 | 4 |
10. Dusan Vlahovic
- Date of Birth/Age: Jan 28, 2000 (23)
- Place of Birth: Yugoslavia (Republic) Belgrad
- Height: 1,90 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
When Vlahovic joined Juventus in January, the fans were very excited because he had scored a lot of goals for Fiorentina before. He’s still young, only 23 years old, but he has the potential to become a great player and maybe even win the Ballon d’Or award.
In the 2022/2023 season, Vlahovic played in 42 matches for Juventus in the Italian league, and he scored 14 goals and helped with 4 more goals. He played very well, and now people think he could become one of the best young center-forwards in the world.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 27 | 10 | 2 |
| Europa League | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Champions League | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Italy Cup | 2 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 42 | 14 | 4 |
9. Lautaro Martínez
- Date of Birth/Age: Aug 22, 1997 (25)
- Place of Birth: Argentina Bahía Blanca
- Height: 1,74 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
The Argentine Lautaro Martínez is now 25 years old and playing his best. He’s really fast and can shoot the ball hard, and he scored three goals in his first five games in the Italian league. Even though he’s not very tall, many Premier League clubs are interested in him. He just needs to face the best defenses in England and show that he’s a great striker.
Martínez played in 57 games for Inter Milan in the 2022/2023 season, and he scored 28 goals and helped with 11 more goals. He’s still young, but he’s already been doing well in his career and has the potential to keep getting better.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 38 | 21 | 7 |
| Champions League | 13 | 3 | 3 |
| Italy Cup | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Supercoppa Italiana | 1 | 1 | – |
| TOTAL | 57 | 28 | 11 |
8. Victor Osimhen
- Date of Birth/Age: Dec 29, 1998 (24)
- Place of Birth: Nigeria Lagos
- Height: 1,86 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Napoli paid a lot of money to get Victor Osimhen in 2020, and even though he hasn’t scored as many goals as they might have hoped, he still plays a very important role on the team. He’s fast and can get past the other team’s defense, which makes him a big threat.
In the 2022/2023 season, Osimhen played in 39 games for Napoli and scored an amazing 31 goals while helping with 5 more goals. He played well and has the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 32 | 26 | 5 |
| Champions League | 6 | 5 | – |
| Italy Cup | 1 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 39 | 31 | 5 |
7. Harry Kane
- Date of Birth/Age: Jul 28, 1993 (29)
- Place of Birth: England London
- Height: 1,88 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Harry Kane is a really good soccer player and is currently ranked as the 7th best center-forward in the world in our list. He’s good at providing assists, and he’s also great at scoring himself. He had an amazing season with Tottenham Hotspur and scored more goals than anyone else in the Premier League.
In the 2022/2023 season, Kane played in 49 games for Tottenham Hotspur and scored 32 goals while helping with 5 more goals. He played well and was the second-best scorer and assist provider in the Premier League.
On August 12, 2023, Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich in a historic deal, becoming the most expensive signing in Bundesliga history at €100 million plus €10 million in bonuses. The agreement was reached between Bayern Munich and Tottenham on August 10, and Kane agreed to personal terms before flying to Munich the next day.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 38 | 30 | 3 |
| Champions League | 8 | 1 | 2 |
| FA Cup | 2 | 1 | – |
| EFL Cup | 1 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 49 | 32 | 5 |
6. Romelu Lukaku
- Date of Birth/Age: May 13, 1993 (29)
- Place of Birth: Belgium Antwerpen
- Height: 1,91 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Romelu Lukaku came back to Chelsea in 2021 for a high transfer fee of £100m, even though it’s not usually recommended to make such a move. But he had a hard time playing well under Thomas Tuchel, even though he had been one of the best players in the world when he was at Inter Milan. He used to get criticized when he played for Manchester United, but he’s been doing well in England for the last two years.
In the 2022/2023 season, Lukaku played for Inter Milan in 37 games and scored 14 goals, and by providing 7 assists. He’s also a really important player for the Belgium national team and has scored 72 goals in 106 games.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Champions League | 8 | 3 | 1 |
| Italy Cup | 4 | 1 | – |
| Supercoppa Italiana | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | 37 | 14 | 7 |
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
- Date of Birth/Age: Feb 5, 1985 (39)
- Place of Birth: Portugal Funchal
- Height: 1,87 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Cristiano Ronaldo, a famous football player who is almost 39 years old, had an amazing season despite not being able to help his team Al Nassr to win a major league title. He played for the team Juventus in Italy during the 2020/2021 season and scored the most goals in the league, with 29 goals in 33 games. In the 2022-2023 season, he has scored 17 goals in all the games he has played.
Although some people might disagree on where Cristiano Ronaldo ranks among the best center forwards, it’s important to acknowledge that he is the oldest player on the list. It’s quite remarkable that he can still perform so well at his age, which is almost 39 years old. In fact, it’s never been done before in football history.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | 16 | 14 | 2 |
| Premier League | 10 | 1 | – |
| Europa League | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| King’s Cup | 2 | – | – |
| Saudi Super Cup | 1 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 35 | 17 | 5 |
4. Karim Benzema
- Date of Birth/Age: Dec 19, 1987 (35)
- Place of Birth: France Lyon
- Height: 1,85 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Karim Benzema was a really important player for Real Madrid’s attack in the 2022/23 season, even though he’s 35 years old. But now he left the club and plays for Al-Ittihad Club in Saudi Arabia. He used to be the main player who tried to score goals when Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t there anymore.
During the 2022-2023 season, Benzema scored 31 goals in all the games he played. This shows how much he helped the team do well. For a long time, he was a very important player for Real Madrid, and people think he’s one of the best goal-makers in the world. Even though he’s getting older, he still plays well and helps his new team score points.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaLiga | 24 | 19 | 3 |
| Champions League | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| Copa del Rey | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Supercopa | 2 | 2 | – |
| UEFA Super Cup | 1 | 1 | – |
| Club World Cup | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 43 | 31 | 6 |
3. Robert Lewandowski
- Date of Birth/Age: Aug 21, 1988 (34)
- Place of Birth: Poland Warszawa
- Height: 1,85 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Robert Lewandowski is considered to be the best center-forward in the world because he has scored a lot of goals 2022/2023 season. He has scored 33 goals in 46 games for Barcelona in the 2022/2023 season. Many people think he is one of the greatest strikers in history because of his talent for scoring goals.
Lewandowski’s impressive performance has made him very popular and admired. He is praised by many people for his amazing skills as a center forward.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaLiga | 34 | 23 | 7 |
| Champions League | 5 | 5 | – |
| Copa del Rey | 3 | 2 | – |
| Europa League | 2 | 1 | – |
| Supercopa | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 46 | 33 | 8 |
2. Kylian Mbappé
- Date of Birth/Age: Dec 20, 1998 (24)
- Place of Birth: France Bondy
- Height: 1,78 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Kylian Mbappé is usually known for playing as a winger in football. However, due to some of his teammates being absent, he had to change his position to a center forward. He has played as a center forward before, but recently he has been playing there more often.
In the 2022/2023 season, Mbappé played in 43 league games for Paris Saint-Germain, and he scored 41 goals and assisted 10 times. He also played for the France national team in the FIFA World Cup 2022, where he scored 10 goals in just 7 games. Mbappé has done so well in this position that now he considers being one of the best center forwards in the world.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ligue 1 | 34 | 29 | 6 |
| Champions League | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Coupe de France | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 43 | 41 | 10 |
1. Erling Haaland
- Date of Birth/Age: Jul 21, 2000 (22)
- Place of Birth: England Leeds
- Height: 1,95 m
- Position: Centre-Forward
Erling Braut Haaland is a young and talented football player who did well in the last season with Manchester City F.C., especially in the Premier League. Because of his great performance, he has been named the best center forward in the world. He scored a total of 48 goals, which is more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues.
In the 2022/2023 season, Haaland has scored 36 goals and given 8 assists in 35 games for Manchester City F.C. in the Premier League. He also scored 12 goals in just 11 games in the UEFA Champions League. In total, he scored 52 goals in the 2022/23 season which is the most by any player.
| Competition | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 35 | 36 | 8 |
| Champions League | 11 | 12 | 1 |
| FA Cup | 4 | 3 | – |
| EFL Cup | 2 | 1 | – |
| Community Shield | 1 | – | – |
| TOTAL | 53 | 52 | 52 |
Do you think we have left any player out of the top 20 of the best center forwards in the world? Leave us your opinion and choose the best in the world in the survey at the top of the article.
