Best Striker in the World

Benzema is still up there, he will show it in about half an hour.
Benzema looked a lot better than Haaland tonight, that's for sure. Haaland will have to turn up next leg to ensure the victory for City.
 
Benzema looked a lot better than Haaland tonight, that's for sure. Haaland will have to turn up next leg to ensure the victory for City.

Speaks more to how bad Haaland was, because I don't think Benz had a great game either. Looked leggy at times.
 
Benzema has been very very close to first for me but it's been Robert Lewandowski for me for many seasons now. This season and likely moving forward though you just got to give it to Haaland unfortunately.

Benzema was easily better than Lewa last season.
 
Speaks more to how bad Haaland was, because I don't think Benz had a great game either. Looked leggy at times.
No I agree. But he was at least involved in the play and brought others into the game. Vini Jr on the other hand was electric. Him and Rodrygo just continue to grow.
 
Was he? Lewa had 50 goals last season, granted I know it's not all about goals but I dunno. It's close

He had arguably the greatest CL campaign of all-time and was the best player in the world last season.

It's not even close for specifically last season.

Swap Benzema out for any other striker and Real Madrid don't win the CL last season.
 
Benzema scored a hat trick against PSG and Chelsea, 3 goals in total against City over two legs..

He was ahead of Lewa
 
He had arguably the greatest CL campaign of all-time and was the best player in the world last season.

It's not even close for specifically last season.

Swap Benzema out for any other striker and Real Madrid don't win the CL last season.
Absolutely agree with this. While we weren’t nearly as good as we were in the previous season in the CL, he was the difference between the two teams. Absolute unreal performance and definitely the best last season, this is coming from someone that despises the blackmailing little cnut.
 
Status right now for the usual suspects in all comps for club and country this season (since 15/7) in no particular order:

Kane:
9 goals (3 penalties) and 5 assists in 729 minutes
1,11 goals/90
0,74 non penalty goals/90
1,73 g+a/90
1,36 npg+a/90

Mbappe:
8 goals (3 penalties) and 1 assists in 521 minutes
1,38 goals/90
0,86 non penalty goals/90
1,51 g+a/90
1,04 npg+a/90

Lewandowski:
8 goals (2 penalties) and 4 assists in 810 minutes
0,89 goals/90
0,67 non penalty goals/90
1,33 g+a/90
1,11 npg+a/90

Haaland:
9 goals (1 penalties) and 2 assists in 864 minutes
0,94 goals/90
0,83 non penalty goals/90
1,15 g+a/90
1,04 npg+a/90

Osimhen:
6 goals (2 penalties) and 1 assists in 617 minutes
0,87 goals/90
0,58 non penalty goals/90
1,02 g+a/90
0,73 npg+a/90

(No player playing in the Saudi Pro League deserves to be mentioned. The quality of the league is too low and unbalanced)
 
Status right now for the usual suspects in all comps for club and country this season (since 15/7) in no particular order:

Kane:
9 goals (3 penalties) and 5 assists in 729 minutes
1,11 goals/90
0,74 non penalty goals/90
1,73 g+a/90
1,36 npg+a/90

Mbappe:
8 goals (3 penalties) and 1 assists in 521 minutes
1,38 goals/90
0,86 non penalty goals/90
1,51 g+a/90
1,04 npg+a/90

Lewandowski:
8 goals (2 penalties) and 4 assists in 810 minutes
0,89 goals/90
0,67 non penalty goals/90
1,33 g+a/90
1,11 npg+a/90

Haaland:
9 goals (1 penalties) and 2 assists in 864 minutes
0,94 goals/90
0,83 non penalty goals/90
1,15 g+a/90
1,04 npg+a/90

Osimhen:
6 goals (2 penalties) and 1 assists in 617 minutes
0,87 goals/90
0,58 non penalty goals/90
1,02 g+a/90
0,73 npg+a/90

(No player playing in the Saudi Pro League deserves to be mentioned. The quality of the league is too low and unbalanced)

Why bother with these amateurs, when true world class strikers average 2.29 npg+a/90?
 
I don't consider Mbappe a striker for these type of discussions, I see him as a LW forward.

So for me Haaland is currently #1.
 
I don't consider Mbappe a striker for these type of discussions, I see him as a LW forward.

So for me Haaland is currently #1.

Haaland hasn't been better than Kane this season. In fact, despite the goal tally, his finishing has been a bit off this season and there haven't been any noticeable improvements in his all-around game.
 
Mbappe is a striker?

Also, you're missing the "through balls, dribbles and other sexy tekkers/90" stat
You can argue that Mbappe is left winger, but to me he's more striker who works mostly on the left. He has no defensive chores like regular wingers do.
For midfielders and wingers he is:
Bottom 1% in tackles, blocks and interceptions,
bottom 5% in headers won
and bottom 7% in clearances
...even for strikers he's bottom of the pack when it comes to defensive chores:
Bottom 1% in blocks and headers won,
bottom 5% in tackles and clearances
and bottom 20% in interceptions.
He's a striker who happens to occupy the left side.

No. I'm not missing any striker stat. End product is the sexy stat for strikers.

Why bother with these amateurs, when true world class strikers average 2.29 npg+a/90?
Of course. I'm so sorry.
I did forget the new superstar among strikers, Serhou Guirassy.
The 27 year old Guinean has really found his shooting boots this season for the Stuttgart Kickers:

11 goals and 2 assists in 510 minutes for Stuttgart and 1 goal in 252 minutes for Guinea.
1,30 goals/90
1,30 non penalty goals/90
1,53 g+a/90
1,53 npg+a/90

If he keeps this ratio up and he will double his career tally before christmas.
He had 38 non penalty goals and 4 assists in Ligue 1 and Bundesliga in 152 matches (8689 minutes in 9 seasons) before this season - 0,37 npg/90 & 0,44 npg+a/90
 
I don't consider Mbappe a striker for these type of discussions, I see him as a LW forward.

So for me Haaland is currently #1.
Haaland is the best striker in the world, Mbappe is the best player in the world.
 
Status right now for the usual suspects in all comps for club and country this season (since 15/7) in no particular order:

Kane:
9 goals (3 penalties) and 5 assists in 729 minutes
1,11 goals/90
0,74 non penalty goals/90
1,73 g+a/90
1,36 npg+a/90

Mbappe:
8 goals (3 penalties) and 1 assists in 521 minutes
1,38 goals/90
0,86 non penalty goals/90
1,51 g+a/90
1,04 npg+a/90

Lewandowski:
8 goals (2 penalties) and 4 assists in 810 minutes
0,89 goals/90
0,67 non penalty goals/90
1,33 g+a/90
1,11 npg+a/90

Haaland:
9 goals (1 penalties) and 2 assists in 864 minutes
0,94 goals/90
0,83 non penalty goals/90
1,15 g+a/90
1,04 npg+a/90

Osimhen:
6 goals (2 penalties) and 1 assists in 617 minutes
0,87 goals/90
0,58 non penalty goals/90
1,02 g+a/90
0,73 npg+a/90

(No player playing in the Saudi Pro League deserves to be mentioned. The quality of the league is too low and unbalanced)

Wow, Lewandowski still going strong at 35+ in a new league.

One of the best strikers in history.
 
Makes it even more obvious what a waste it has been to stay at Spurs for all these years.
 
Of course. I'm so sorry.
I did forget the new superstar among strikers, Serhou Guirassy.
The 27 year old Guinean has really found his shooting boots this season for the Stuttgart Kickers:

11 goals and 2 assists in 510 minutes for Stuttgart and 1 goal in 252 minutes for Guinea.
1,30 goals/90
1,30 non penalty goals/90
1,53 g+a/90
1,53 npg+a/90
Please tell me you did that on purpose. :drool:
 
You can argue that Mbappe is left winger, but to me he's more striker who works mostly on the left. He has no defensive chores like regular wingers do.
For midfielders and wingers he is:
Bottom 1% in tackles, blocks and interceptions,
bottom 5% in headers won
and bottom 7% in clearances
...even for strikers he's bottom of the pack when it comes to defensive chores:
Bottom 1% in blocks and headers won,
bottom 5% in tackles and clearances
and bottom 20% in interceptions.
He's a striker who happens to occupy the left side.

No. I'm not missing any striker stat. End product is the sexy stat for strikers.


Of course. I'm so sorry.
I did forget the new superstar among strikers, Serhou Guirassy.
The 27 year old Guinean has really found his shooting boots this season for the Stuttgart Kickers:

11 goals and 2 assists in 510 minutes for Stuttgart and 1 goal in 252 minutes for Guinea.
1,30 goals/90
1,30 non penalty goals/90
1,53 g+a/90
1,53 npg+a/90

If he keeps this ratio up and he will double his career tally before christmas.
He had 38 non penalty goals and 4 assists in Ligue 1 and Bundesliga in 152 matches (8689 minutes in 9 seasons) before this season - 0,37 npg/90 & 0,44 npg+a/90

Good stats, which is top for pirouettes in the final third from the 65th min on, that’ll really finally make up my mind.
 
Kane. I honestly don’t think Haaland is his level yet. One dimensional and plays for a team built around feeding him goals as plan A.
 
Kane’s rarely stepped up in a huge games with something big on the line. Surely the best striker in the world at least has to lay a solid claim to being a big game player?
 
Kane’s rarely stepped up in a huge games with something big on the line. Surely the best striker in the world at least has to lay a solid claim to being a big game player?

By that criteria, when has Kane really had the opportunity to do so in his career? How many games of that nature has he even played in?

Haaland last year had some fairly anonymous performances in all of his semi-finals and finals, even though his team still won. He still has some work to do to prove his big game credentials.

I would argue that with Benzema out of the picture none of the main contenders have a particularly great big game reputation, except for Mbappe who may or may not even be a striker.
 
Tough call between Kane and Haaland. Not counting Mbappe, since I consider him a winger.
 
Haaland last year had some fairly anonymous performances in all of his semi-finals and finals, even though his team still won. He still has some work to do to prove his big game credentials.

He scored/assisted against Bayern, Man Utd, Arsenal last season. They don't become "non-big games" just because they aren't semi-finals/finals.
 
He scored/assisted against Bayern, Man Utd, Arsenal last season. They don't become "non-big games" just because they aren't semi-finals/finals.

He initially said big games "with something big on the line". Kane has rarely been in that position, because Tottenham rarely have something big on the line. If we're counting league games, Kane scored plenty against big teams in the league last season, but they were nowhere near title contenders. If Tottenham were league contenders, then you could class his "big game" record as similar or better than Haaland's based on form in the league.

Edit: I don't think Haaland scored against Bayern in Germany either; arguably the big game in Germany. Think he popped that cherry in preseason last year when he joined City. Not saying he's bad or anything, but it's been a bit of a thing.
 
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Kane is better than Haaland. It’s either him or Lewandowski.
 
By that criteria, when has Kane really had the opportunity to do so in his career? How many games of that nature has he even played in?

Haaland last year had some fairly anonymous performances in all of his semi-finals and finals, even though his team still won. He still has some work to do to prove his big game credentials.

I would argue that with Benzema out of the picture none of the main contenders have a particularly great big game reputation, except for Mbappe who may or may not even be a striker.

He’s played in a CL final (for which another player pulled it out the bag to get them there), he’s played in domestic cup games for Spurs, he had a title challenge the year Leicester won it. He basically missed a glaring chance from 6 yards in one World Cup semi final and skied a penalty in another. Aside from converting his penalties at the Euros he’s never really given England any great performances. He’s just not been one to come up with massive goals in massive moments.

So really there’s just not a lot to suggest he’s a player for the big occasion. He’s never really made his mark and he’s clearly had chances to, even if he is the darling of most of England these day and I imagine people won’t want to hear this.