Top 10 best strikers in football in 2022

These players have had a superb run for the season with a jam-packed calendar.

If your team doesn't have a striker who can consistently put the ball in the back of the net, it doesn't matter if you have the world's most technical inverted full-back, the most powerful box-to-box midfielder, or the silkiest playmaker. None of those things matters nearly as much as having a player who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net.

Since the development of the sport has made it possible to score goals in a variety of different ways, the role of the striker is no longer restricted to simply making shots on goal. Nonetheless, isn't this their principal objective?

In spite of this, the rate at which a striker scores goals is not the most important factor to consider when ranking the very greatest strikers in the world. Because of the evolution of the job and its subsequent complexity, a number of different considerations need to be taken into account.

This list ranks the best 10 strikers in the world at the present time.

10. Ciro Immobile

Ciro Immobile is one of the rare Serie A players that naturally score goals at a high rate. For nearly a decade, the Italian striker has set records for goals scored in Italy.

In a typical manner, Immobile got the 2022/23 season off to a blazing start, making him one of just two players in history to win at least four Capocannoniere titles.

The Italian is as ruthless as they come in front of the goal. His years spent with Luis Alberto and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic have undoubtedly contributed to that reputation.

Despite his prowess in front of goal, Immobile has many weaknesses that have been shown to be problematic at the top level of play. It's especially annoying since his track record in Italy is so poor.

9. Lautaro Martinez

Fans of the beautiful game were enamoured by Inter's telepathic strike partnership, dubbed "LuLa." Although Lautaro Martinez had a shaky first season at San Siro due to the impending departure of Mauro Icardi, the additions of Antonio Conte and Romelu Lukaku sparked a revival.

As Conte's Inter ended Juventus' decade-long reign as Italian champions, the Argentine and the Belgian hit it off right away.

Il Toro's best goalscoring season came last year under Simone Inzaghi when he scored 21 in the league. This trend was maintained in Conte's absence.

On the whole, Lautaro is a smart, versatile forward who is at his best when not in possession of the ball. He struggles to maintain consistency, and his ball striking often fails him at inopportune moments.

8. Dusan Vlahovic

Max Allegri, oh my. Dusan Vlahovic, what are you doing to him? Vlahovic was initially seen as a rebuild-saver in Turin when he joined Juventus in January 2022. Juve wanted their long-term number nine, and they were willing to spend a lot of money to acquire him.

And while Vlahovic has a respectable scoring record for Juventus, it still falls short of his Fiorentina record.

The young Serbian forward is a physically intimidating force with excellent ball-striking ability. It allows him to score a variety of goals. He has the excellent aerial ability and is technically sound enough to maintain possession under duress and include others in the play.

Vlahovic provides so much, but Allegri's pathetic possession system isolates him so much up top and prevents him from touching the ball frequently enough. The Serb's best qualities won't be shown until after the manager has left town a second time.

7. Gabriel Jesus

Gabriel Jesus is a favourite of Pep Guardiola, and his outstanding start at Arsenal makes it clear why. Jesus has contributed to the Gunners' transformation in 2022–2023, and Pep praised the Brazilian's skill when out of possession.

Jesus' influence goes beyond simple goals and assists. He is incredibly powerful, great with his back to the goal, and unrelenting without the ball. His prowess in so many areas makes it almost impossible to notice his samba dribbling abilities.

The dynamic forward, a four-time Premier League champion, served Manchester City in a variety of distinct tactical roles. He was grossly undervalued while playing for the Etihad, and Mikel Arteta seems to have let him loose in north London.

6. Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen's Serie A goal total hasn't yet been able to justify the enormous sum Napoli spent Lille to sign him for the 2020 season, but the Nigerian's impact on the game every time he enters it most certainly has.

Osimhen has erupted into life as part of a jubilant Napoli attack and instantly strikes fear into the hearts of opposing defences due to his exceptional athleticism and relentlessness while sprinting in from behind.

The Nigerian international is one of the most valuable outlets in the world, and with a few minor adjustments (hold-up play and finishing), he might ultimately enter discussions about the best striker in the world. Just one cut separates him from the top five right now.

5. Harry Kane

In terms of rankings, the top five attackers in the world now are readily interchangeable, but it's very obvious that they're the best five at their position.

Due to the overwhelming skill of his competitors, Tottenham striker Harry Kane drops to fifth place. The England captain has displayed many instances in which he appeared to be the best playmaker or number nine in the world. Kane is capable of making any pass and scoring any goal.

When all is said and done, it would be a huge surprise if Kane doesn't conclude his career as the Premier League's all-time leading striker. The ever-elusive trophy shouldn't take away from Kane's grandeur.

4. Erling Haaland

Despite not having Kylian Mbappe's natural talent or marketability, Erling Haaland is currently the best striker in the world at what a striker is paid to do: score goals.

Haaland is an incredible anomaly and a freak of nature. The Norwegian superstar, who stands 6'5" tall and has a devilish turn of speed, is football's equivalent of Ivan Drago.

Haaland has made a mockery of anybody who thought that his terrifying form wouldn't translate over to the brutal and vicious Premier League. His talent for scoring goals has seen him fall into Pep Guardiola's welcoming lap at Manchester City.

There is an almost spooky simplicity to Haaland's game, as it is yet unknown how to stop or at least slow down the enormous Norwegian. He will come.

3. Kylian Mbappe

the pinnacle of a skill for a generation. As soon as Kylian Mbappe made his breakthrough at Monaco as a 17-year-old during the 2016–17 season, his ascent to superstardom was inevitable.

Mbappe was immediately acquired by PSG, and today he is regarded by many as the most influential person in the French capital.

Despite not having won the Champions League, Mbappe has won numerous league championships, and the World Cup, and is already PSG's second-leading scorer all-time. The energetic Frenchman has accomplished so much in such a short period of time, and he's on track to rule the sport for the entire decade of 2020.

2. Robert Lewandowski

Robert Lewandowski hasn't always received the recognition he merits; if not for a Ballon d'Or that had to be postponed during the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak, he would undoubtedly be in possession of one of the gleaming golden balls.

Lewandowski chose to move to Barcelona in the summer after dominating the Bundesliga for a decade, and he has continued where he left off in Bavaria.

The Poland international combines the best qualities of his elite contemporaries to produce a centre-forward that is almost entirely complete. Lewandowski is an effective monster in his own right, even though he isn't as quick as Mbappe or as freakish as Haaland, nor can he grow a beard like Benzema or ping 80-yard diagonals like Kane.

1. Karim Benzema

After Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018, Karim Benzema was thrown into the limelight, and boy, has he delivered.

After a scoring-wise disappointing 2017–18 campaign, Benzema has achieved goalscoring campaigns of 21, 21, 23, and 27 in La Liga to reestablish himself as one of the top attackers in the world.

The Frenchman sets an excellent example on the field, and it was his goals that helped Los Blancos win the Champions League and a pair of league championships in 2021–2022. Benzema plays with a subtle intelligence that frequently causes defences to be outwitted, and his form over the past 18 months has been nothing short of astounding.

We couldn't really rank Benzema lower than first as the most recent Ballon d'Or winner.