Who are the best No. 9s in world football right now? The top three are fairly obvious, but deciding who belongs at No. 1 is far more difficult.
This ranking focuses exclusively on recognised strikers and centre-forwards — the specialists who lead the line. Wingers, wide forwards and attacking midfielders who occasionally move into central positions are excluded.
So, with that in mind, here are the 10 best centre-forwards in world football right now.
10. Deniz Undav
A controversial choice, perhaps, but Undav deserves consideration based on his recent form.
The Germany international has scored 21 goals for club and country in the calendar year, putting him ahead of several more established names.
Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike may have greater pedigree and arguably a higher ceiling, but judging players on their recent output, it is difficult to place them above Undav.
9. João Pedro
João Pedro has finally started to look like the answer to Chelsea’s long-running No. 9 problem.
The Brazilian has developed into a dangerous and increasingly complete centre-forward, combining intelligent movement with a growing knack for finding the net.
His emergence makes his omission from Brazil’s World Cup squad even more surprising. Carlo Ancelotti may have some explaining to do.
8. Kai Havertz
Viktor Gyökeres featured in our previous ranking, but a fit and firing Kai Havertz has forced his way back into contention.
Havertz is arguably less of a traditional striker than anyone else on this list. At times, he has looked more like a modern interpretation of Thomas Müller than a conventional No. 9.
But that versatility is also part of his appeal.
He may not be as prolific as Gyökeres, but Havertz offers considerably more in terms of technical ability, link-up play and overall versatility. Arsenal’s attack often looks more fluid when he leads the line.
7. Julián Álvarez
Julián Álvarez remains something of an enigma.
There were periods last season when he drifted out of games, particularly against some of La Liga’s less glamorous opposition. Eight league goals was underwhelming for a player whose reported valuation has reached €150 million.
Yet his record in major matches remains extremely impressive.
Álvarez played an important role in Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign, contributed during Argentina’s 2022 World Cup triumph and has consistently delivered on the biggest stages.
His performances during Atlético Madrid’s run to the Champions League semi-finals only reinforced that reputation.
The talent is obvious. The next step is consistency.
6. Mikel Oyarzabal
There is a perception that Spain are only one world-class striker away from becoming completely unstoppable.
That perhaps undersells Mikel Oyarzabal.
He scored the winning goal in the Euro 2024 final, finished the 2026 World Cup with five goals and has produced an outstanding scoring record for his country.
Oyarzabal’s international numbers are particularly impressive, yet he rarely receives the superstar recognition given to players with similar output.
Perhaps that is because he has remained loyal to Real Sociedad rather than chasing a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Whatever the reason, his numbers speak for themselves.
5. Lautaro Martínez
Lautaro Martínez continues to be one of the most underrated elite strikers in world football.
The Argentina international has scored 40 goals for his country and 175 for Inter, putting him among the leading scorers in both teams’ histories.
He has won three Serie A titles, claimed the Capocannoniere award and helped Inter reach two Champions League finals.
His influence goes beyond statistics, too. Martínez’s movement, pressing, technical quality and ability to combine with teammates make him an outstanding modern centre-forward.
He deserves far more recognition than he often receives.
4. Victor Osimhen
It says something about modern football that one of the world’s best centre-forwards currently plays in the Turkish Süper Lig.
Victor Osimhen remains a striker capable of playing at the highest level.
His Champions League performances against elite opposition have repeatedly demonstrated his quality, while his pace, physicality, aerial ability and movement make him one of the most difficult forwards in Europe to defend.
It is still surprising that he has not established himself as the long-term No. 9 at one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Perhaps his next major move will finally provide that opportunity.
3. Erling Haaland
The top three are in a category of their own.
There is very little separating them, and all three have legitimate claims to being among the best players in the world regardless of position.
Haaland’s critics sometimes point to his relatively low involvement in Manchester City’s build-up play. Compared with Harry Kane, he is far less likely to drop deep and dictate attacks.
But that misses the point.
Haaland is an extraordinary specialist.
His record-breaking goalscoring began long before he arrived at Manchester City. He scored nine goals in a single Under-20 World Cup match, scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut for RB Salzburg and continued producing outrageous numbers at Borussia Dortmund.
He then moved to City and immediately demonstrated that he could thrive even within a team not traditionally built around a classic No. 9.
At 26, Haaland is already entering all-time-great territory.
As a pure centre-forward, few players in modern football have been more devastating.
2. Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé has reached a level where comparisons with the game’s greatest forwards no longer seem excessive.
His performances at the 2026 World Cup only strengthened that argument.
Mbappé combines explosive pace, elite finishing, dribbling ability and movement behind defensive lines in a way few players in football history have managed.
Wayne Rooney has compared him favourably with Ronaldo Nazário, while the Brazilian legend himself has acknowledged similarities between their games.
Mbappé is now the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer and the first player to win two Golden Boots.
There are still questions.
His defensive work can be inconsistent, and he has yet to win the Champions League. France’s failure to win more major international trophies during his era also leaves room for debate.
But judging the individual rather than the team, Mbappé is undoubtedly one of the most devastating forwards on the planet.
1. Harry Kane
Goals aren’t everything when judging a striker — but they certainly matter.
And Harry Kane has produced them at an extraordinary rate.
The England captain scored 61 goals in all competitions for Bayern Munich last season, won another European Golden Shoe and capped his campaign with a hat-trick in Bayern’s DFB-Pokal final victory.
He also scored six goals at the World Cup.
What separates Kane from many of his rivals, however, is what he contributes when he isn’t scoring.
Unlike Haaland, Kane regularly drops deep, dictates play, links midfield with attack and delivers passes that would not look out of place from an elite playmaker.
That combination of goalscoring, creativity, intelligence and physical presence makes him arguably the most complete No. 9 in world football.
Haaland may be the purer goalscoring machine. Mbappé may be the more explosive individual talent.
But if the question is simply who is the best centre-forward in world football right now?
Harry Kane has a very strong case for No. 1.
