In the history of football, strikers have long been viewed as the “x” factor in any team’s performance. Simply put, no matter what the quality of your side is, your team is unlikely to win many matches unless it has a quality striker at its disposal. All of the great football teams have boasted outstanding strikers, with these strikers’ goal-scoring exploits ensuring that their side stays on a winning path.
With so many great strikers in football history, it's hard to narrow down the best of the best. Nevertheless, we have taken a shot at it, picking 7 of the best strikers of all time. Check out our picks below:
Gerd Muller
Appearances: 778
Goals: 722
Gerd Muller is considered by many to be the best striker Germany has ever produced — and with his illustrious record, it’s easy to see why. During the 1960s and the 1970s, the Bayern Munich and West Germany centre forward scored hundreds of goals for club and country and won nearly every important title, including the 1970 Ballon d'Or, the 1974 World Cup, the 1972 European Championship, and the UEFA Champions League. ng the 1960s and 1970s. He currently stands as the 3rd top scorer in World Cup history and finished his career with an average of 0.92 goals per match
Ronaldo
Brazil’s’ Ronaldo (not Cristiano) was held in a similar esteem to his Portuguese counterpart during the heyday of his illustrious career. Ronaldo is considered to be one of the most influential strikers ever, as he dazzled fans from across the world with his incredible dribbling, explosive finishing and charismatic personality while playing for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Internazionale, Corinthians and Brazil. He won most of the prestigious football awards during his career, including the 2002 FIFA World Player of the Year, the 2002 Ballon d'Or, and the Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year following his return from injury. He also won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice in the final and receiving the Golden Boot as the tournament's top goalscorer.
Romario
Romario was renowned as a clinical finisher in his celebrated career, scoring over 700 career goals and notching over 100 goals for three different clubs: Vasco de Gama, Flamengo, and PSV. The Brazilian striker was a pivotal player during a golden era for Brazil during the 90s, emerging as a star as Brazil clinched the 1994 World Cup and Romario received the Golden Ball player of the tournament. Romario’s impact is further illustrated by the fact that he came fifth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll in 1999, was elected to the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002, and was included in FIFA’s 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004
Eusebio
Portugal’s Eusebio is not only considered to be Benfica’s best-ever player but one of the greatest players of all time. The late Portuguese footballer enjoyed a prolific record of 577 goals in 582 club games thanks to his athleticism, speed, technique, and sharpshooting. Highlighting his ability in front of goal, Eusebio played a critical role in helping Benfica to an incredible 11 league titles in 15 years between 1960 and 1975
Cristiano Ronaldo
The other Ronaldo (Cristiano) is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, with his outstanding goalscoring record speaks for itself. Cristiano is the all-time world record holder for international goals with 135 goals for Portugal from 217 appearances. His record across both his club and international career is even more impressive, currently standing at 925 goals over 1,250 professional career appearances. His litany of records includes most goals in the UEFA Champions League (140 goals) and season (17 in 2013–14), most goals in the UEFA European Championship (14), its qualification stage (40), and the FIFA Club World Cup (7),)and most appearances in a national team.
Lionel Messi
With over 850 senior career goals and 380 assists for club and country, Lionel Messi is a football icon and widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time. A prolific goal scorer and creative playmaker, the Argentinian has set numerous records, including most goals in a calendar year (91), most goals (474), most goals for a single club (672, with Barcelona) and most hat-tricks (36) and assists (192) . He is arguably the most successful team player the history of professional football, having won 45 team trophies, including 4 UEFA Champions Leagues, 12 Big Five league titles, 2 Copa Américas, and one FIFA World Cup. He is also the most decorated player in football history, having won 8 Ballon d'Or awards and 4 awards for the Best FIFA Men's Player (formerly the FIFA World Player of the Year).
Pele
Any list about strikers would not be complete without the inclusion of the late, great Brazilian striker that many have dubbed as "the greatest footballer of all time". Pele is the only footballer to have won the World Cup three times - in 1958, 1962 and 1970- and had an out-of-this-world strike rate with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games (including friendlies) , which is recognised as a Guinness World Record. At club level, Pele was a powerhouse, finishing as Santos’s all-time top goal scorer with 643 goals in 659 games and leading the club to several titles. Football fans still marvel today at Pele’s amazing footwork, prolific finishing and leadership skills on the world stage with his country.
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