Top 10 Best Strikers of All Time in Football – Ranked

Football is a sport where strikers always hog most of the limelight, due to their consistent goal-scoring exploits. They turn the game into a box-office level of spectacle by scoring loads of goals, displaying trickery, skills & exhibiting intelligent finishes. Throughout the history of the game, we and our generations before have seen several strikers who have redefined football in more ways than we can count on our fingers. The iconic moments some of these strikers have created will be forever etched into the memory of soccer fans. Who could forget the two iconic goals scored by Ronaldo Nazario, one of the best strikers of all time, against Germany in the 2002 FIFA WC final, or Robert Lewandowski's mind-boggling performance against Wolfsburg in 2015, in which he scored 5 goals in just 9 minutes after coming off the bench.

Legacy & consistency are two of the 5 factors considered by us that separate the legendary strikers from ordinary ones. Not only did these players break record after record, but they also delivered for their teams or clubs when it mattered the most. They played through adversity, pain, occasional rough patches of form & turned all of it into sources of motivation to perform at even higher standards. From Pelé's dribbling & fancy footwork to Gerd Müller's ruthless finishing streak, let's have a look at our list of the best football strikers of all time.

List of Best Football Strikers Ever

After dedicating an exhaustive no. of hours, Sportsdunia football desk has come up with its list of the best football strikers of all time, as seen in the table below. To ensure unbiasedness, we have created the list based on ranking factors: Career Stats, performance in big games, legacy, and consistency.

How We Ranked the Best Strikers in Football History?

We have made clear that we have created our list of the top 10 greatest strikers ever based on certain ranking factors. Below, we have explained how these factors have been used by us in deciding the greatest poachers of the game.

• Overall Career Stats: The reason strikers take all the limelight is because of their goal-scoring abilities. Hence, the overall number of goals scored by them throughout their career is a primary determinant of whether they belong in the list of greatest strikers ever or not.
• Consistency: The Ability to score goals gameweek-by-gameweek exhibits a striker's hunger to score goals & win matches or rescue points for his team.
• Performance in Big Matches: Along with having a knack for scoring goals in almost every game, a striker's greatness is measured based on his performance in crucial matches. Scoring match-winning goals in league title deciders or Cup Competitions, or in a UCL final, means that the striker in discussion has a major hand in the dominant run of his team.
• Legacy: Last but not least, the legacy these strikers have left on the game of football also showcases their greatness.

Who are the Best Strikers in Football History?

Now that we have made ourselves clear concerning the methods used to decide the best strikers of all time, let's learn about these legendary names in detail.

10. Jimmy Greaves (England)

One of the most prolific goal scorers ever, but overlooked for much of his life due to the 1966 World Cup winners' medal fiasco, Jimmy Greaves was one of the best strikers in football history. He is England's 5th highest goalscorer, which includes an English record of six hat-tricks. He was two-footed, tactically inept with the ball & in an era where playing by imposing physicality along with aggression was more prominent, he used to glide past the defenders & toy with goalkeepers in a mesmerizing manner.

He won six Golden Boots in England’s top division and was the record goal scorer for Tottenham Hotspur until February 2023, when it was broken by England's no.9 Harry Kane. However, he was not just a Tottenham legend; he was England's legend as he redefined how a striker plays in England. He was a constant menace in front of the opposition's goal as he netted 422 times in almost 600 appearances at the club football level. He also netted 44 goals for the Three Lions in 57 appearances.

9. Marco van Basten (Netherlands)

Arguably hailed as one of the greatest & the most complete number 9s the Netherlands has ever produced, Marco Van Basten was a phenomenal goal scorer. Dubbed as the "Swan of Utrecht" for his ballet-like elegance, attacking play & his knack for scoring outrageous acrobatic goals, He was AC Milan's superstar & part of Arrigo Sacchi's Milan team who terrorised other clubs throughout the 1980s. During his time at AC Milan, he won 4 Serie A titles & consecutive European Cups (Now known as Champions League). He also led the Netherlands to their only UEFA Euro title in 1988 & proved his credentials as one of the best strikers in the history of football.

By the age of 27, he had over 300 goal contributions for club & country. By then, he had already won 3 Ballon d'Ors, putting him arguably at the level of modern-day legends Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo. Marco's career, though, will always be remembered by “What if?”, as due to recurring ankle injury, he retired at 28, and just like that, we would never know what more mind-bogglingly incredible things he would have done had he played longer. But regardless of it, his achievements in his short span of his career alone make him an all-time great.

8. Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Even at the age of 37, Polish captain Robert Lewandowski still scores goals for fun. He has been an inspirational figure for the people in his homeland, as Poland is not known for dominating football & only a handful of players out of there were able to make a respectable career out of it. He got his first big break after joining Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund in 2010. He was ridiculed during his formative months in Westphalia due to his underwhelming start. But he eventually got the knack for scoring goals & has never looked back since. He won 2 Bundesliga titles at Signal Iduna Park, followed by winning it 8 times with arch-rivals Bayern Munich & in the process, cemented his status as one of the best strikers of all time.

Also dubbed Lewangoalski due to his hunger for scoring a crazy amount of goals, he has all the attributes required to be a perfect out-and-out striker: height, strength, balance, pace, intelligent movement, & ability to score with both feet and head. Though it's well known that he has scored over 700 goals for club & country, one of his iconic performances ever came against Wolfsburg in 2015, when he came off the bench & scored 5 goals in the space of just 9 mins, making even then Bayern manager Pep Guardiola hold his head in disbelief. His 2019/20 treble-winning season was the greatest season he could ever achieve, but due to COVID-19, he didn't receive the Ballon d'Or award as recognition. Instead, in the following year, he was awarded the consolatory Best FIFA Men's Player award as an acknowledgement of the fact that he is one of the best football strikers ever.

7. Ronaldo (Brazil)

Also dubbed “O Fenomeno” (or the Phenomenon), Ronaldo or R9 was a sensation during his peak years. Though in modern times, it's Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane who has revolutionized how strikers play, R9 was the first to redefine the game played by strikers in such a manner. His vision to lead the attack with the ball from his team's own half, along with his passing ability, makes him one of the most complete strikers ever. He used to dribble at a great pace and excelled especially in one-on-one situations. Whenever he was in a 1-v-1 situation against a goalkeeper, his scoring was always a certainty.

Just like in the case of Marco Van Basten, injuries shortened his career, but regardless, his achievements are glorious. He cemented his place as one of the best strikers of all time during his trophy-laden career. He won two Ballon d’Or trophies and was named the Best FIFA Men’s Player 3 times, each time with a different club (Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid). Ronaldo was also a key figure in how Brazil used to play, winning five trophies with them, including two FIFA World Cups, in 1994 and 2002.

6. Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina/Spain)

Alfredo Di Stefano, placed 6th, is arguably among the most influential strikers in the history of the game. Di Stefano was the embodiment of a perfect striker, thanks to his strength, versatility to play almost anywhere on the pitch, shooting & the ability to edge past the defenders in 1-v-1 situations. In a match against Manchester United, even Sir Bobby Charlton was in awe, looking at the things Di Stefano was doing.

As a Real Madrid icon, even the word “Magnificent” couldn't define his contributions to Los Blancos. He was instrumental in guiding Real Madrid to winning the first five European Cups (Now known as UEFA Champions League) & also 8 La Liga titles. He created the foundation for Real Madrid to dominate the 1st division & UCL for decades to come. Though the striker never won any trophy while representing two-time World Cup winners Argentina or Spain, his achievements for Los Blancos overshadow that shortcoming.

5. Eusebio (Portugal)

Eusebio spent the majority of his career at Lisbon-based club Benfica and dominated the footballing landscape. He carved his legacy as one of the best strikers in the history of football at Estádio da Luz, by scoring more than 300 goals in just 317 appearances. In his very first season at the club in 1961, he won the European Cup in a 5-3 win against Spanish giants Real Madrid, in which he scored a brace.

He was an icon for his country & is still regarded as the greatest player ever to represent Portugal, despite the emergence of Cristiano Ronaldo. Unfortunately, he could only achieve a third-place finish in the 1966 World Cup as the best performance for his national team. He won the Ballon d'Or award in 1965, & ranks at 13th place in the list of all-time top goalscorers.

4. Romario (Brazil)

With 1000 career goals to his name, Romario is another Brazilian legend who made the art of scoring goals look like child's play. He always proved to be unstoppable for defenders. Dubbed a cartoon footballer by former Real Madrid legend Jorge Valdano, he was known as an opportunistic poacher with an impeccable positional sense. Along with Ronaldo Nazario & one of the greatest African footballers, George Weah, he redefined the centre-forward position as they were first among the forwards to drop deep and win the ball, before unsettling defenders and running past them to score.

Romario was an icon for Dutch side PSV, winning eight trophies during his spell there. While he never won a Ballon d’Or, he didn't let that bother him as he said he never prioritised personal achievements over enjoying football. With him just being behind Pele on the all-time top scorers’ list, the debate to decide who is better has been a part & parcel of Brazilians’ lives.

3. Ferenc Puskas (Hungary)

One of the most important players of the 20th century, Puskás was undisputedly one of the best strikers of all time. He was part of the revolutionary 1950s Hungarian national side, which won an Olympic Gold Medal and bulldozed through the opposition teams. One of the more impressive things in his career is that when Puskas joined Real Madrid, he was already 32, an age where a player is said to be at the tail-end of his career. Yet, he went on to win La Liga on five occasions and the European Cup on three.

Puskas redefined the role of a traditional forward & was known for scoring mind-boggling & fantabulous goals. It is one of the biggest reasons why the Best Goal Award is currently named The Puskas Award.

2. Gerd Muller (West Germany)

No matter which type of goalscoring record you are looking at, the name of “Gerd Müller” will always be on the list. Nicknamed ‘Der Bomber’ for his goalscoring exploits, he was the perfect blueprint of an elite striker. He was a classic number 9, & always made well-timed runs into the penalty box, exhibiting classic poacher instincts. His record of scoring 85 goals in a calendar year stood for 40+ years, until Barcelona legend Lionel Messi broke it in 2012.

While he was not as popular as his fellow German, Franz Beckenbauer, the striker's achievements speak volumes of his greatness. He won the Euros with Germany in 1972 and lifted the World Cup just two years later. He is ranked 1st in the list of best strikers of all time to have ever played for Bayern Munich, and is a source of inspiration for every forward who joins Bayern, with the best example being Robert Lewandowski, who broke his record of scoring the most goals in a single Bundesliga season.

1. Pele (Brazil)

For obvious reasons, Pelé is arguably ranked 1st in the list of best strikers of all time. He is always mentioned in the same breath as all-time greats Diego Maradona and modern-day greats Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. He was the cornerstone of a Brazilian team that dominated international football in the 1950s & late 1960s. He was the creator & as well as the finisher. Due to his ability to lead his team to victories, at times on his own, he was dubbed “King Pele”.

While his achievements in the sport are beyond incredible, he only player in football history to have won the World Cup 3 times. His impact is beyond his on-pitch exploits, transcending the sport of football. He gave realism to the phrase “Joga Bonito” (Play beautifully), which exhibits a football philosophy centred around skills, flair & creativity. Pele is a global icon and hailed as the best athlete of the 20th century.