Julian Alvarez ranks 7th among the 10 best strikers in world football right now, according to a recent ranking.
A bit of an enigma, Alvarez's tendency to drift out of games for long stretches last season, particularly in the less glamorous La Liga fixtures, is difficult to ignore. Eight league goals was a poor return for a player reportedly valued at €150million.
Arsenal or Barcelona would expect considerably more from their striker. Alvarez, however, quietly played a key role in Manchester City's treble, produced some huge moments in Argentina's 2022 World Cup triumph, smashed home that screamer against Switzerland this summer and impressed throughout Atletico Madrid's run to the Champions League semi-finals.
You get the sense that Alvarez could explode into life in the right set-up. But he needs to show a bit more consistency if he's to be ranked alongside the modern-day legends at the top of this list.
At the top of the list, Manchester City's Erling Haaland ranks third, alongside Real Madrid's top scorer and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski. Haaland's minimal touch maps for Manchester City might lead one to conclude that he's got a limited game. That he relies on the creative quality of others around him.
But that's not the case. Haaland is an elite-level striker who consistently produces goals for his team. He's one of the best players on the planet, irrespective of position.
Deniz Undav ranks 9th on the list, with 21 goals for club and country this calendar year. He outscored Erling Haaland in 2026, with only the top two names on this list bettering that tally.
Viktor Gyokeres, meanwhile, ranks 8th. You distil Gyokeres' recent achievements down to the bare essentials, and you'd swear he's one of the best in the world. Arsenal's top scorer as they claimed their first Premier League title in over 20 years, Gyokeres has almost a hundred goals for Sporting across two title-winning seasons.
But for all his remarkable output, Gyokeres just doesn't pass the eye test of a truly elite striker. Credit to him for maximising his strengths, yet he looks a sore thumb in the Gunners' otherwise slick setup. It's little surprise they've already been linked with an upgrade.
The likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike undoubtedly possess more pedigree, and probably more class, than the Germany international. But based on the last 12 months, we can't honestly rank them above Undav.
Mikel Oyarzabal ranks 6th, with an outstanding return of 18 goals in his last 21 Spain appearances. Yet Oyarzabal seems almost allergic to superstardom. Had he chased bigger moves and built more of a public profile, perhaps he'd be leading the line for one of Europe's elite.
Lautaro Martinez ranks 5th, with 40 goals for Argentina and 175 goals for Inter. He's won three Scudetti, winning the Capocannoniere award for Serie A's top scorer in the last two, and has helped lead the Nerazzurri to two Champions League finals. You get the sense that El Toro doesn't quite get the respect he deserves.
Victor Osimhen ranks 4th, with his Champions League performances against Liverpool and Juventus those of a striker ready for a Barcelona or a Manchester United. Save for the obvious exceptions at the top of this list, there's arguably a dearth of unquestionably world-class centre-forwards in the game today.
Source: Planet Football
