There are 11 players on the football field for each team during a game, but not all are given the same recognition in the eyes of supporters and pundits.
Strikers are the ones revered by fans and hated the most by opponents. They may not always have a meaningful game regarding how many times they pass the ball, but as long as they take their chances, the attackers are doing their job.
Anyone who frequents the best online sportsbook knows a striker’s importance, as their ability to score a goal out of nothing can often swing the result of a game in one direction or another.
The attention given to attacking players is undeniable, as these superstars are the ones who put the ball in the back of the net. Any list of the best premier league players this century would include a majority of forwards, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Alan Shearer, and Mohamed Salah.
Below is our ranking of the top five strikers of all time in footballing history.
1. Lionel Messi
Not only is he undeniably the best player of all time, but Lionel Messi is also the best striker to have ever played the sport. His statistics with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Argentina show that Messi has a goal ratio of close to one per game.
Only one player in modern history has come close to that mark, and that is the man below him on this list. As a rivalry, Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo continue to push each other to greater heights.
What sets Messi apart from everyone else on this list is the diverse range of his abilities. He is as much a playmaker as a goalscorer, while he can also sit deep in midfield and control games. However, Messi has never shied away from being the man expected to get all the goals.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
A superstar footballer who started in Portugal grew into a man at Manchester United, became an even better version of himself at Real Madrid, and then did great things for Juventus before returning to Manchester United.
Cristiano Ronaldo may have left European football on a sour note in recent months, but how he ended his club career in the continent does not reflect his ability or talent. Ronaldo had one of the best careers that any player in a European league could hope to achieve.
His goals-to-game ratio is nearly one, similar to Lionel Messi. While penalties inflate those numbers, Ronaldo is an ace marksman who can score from a distance, close range, with his left and right foot, and even his head.
Apart from winning everything in Spain and succeeding in Italy, Ronaldo left a significant impression on the Premier League in England. Given his successes during two spells at Manchester United, he is undoubtedly one of the three best players ever to grace the Premier League.
3. Pelé
Sports Team History Pelé was a goalscorer supreme and a unique talent growing up as a player. Not only did he have incredible close control and dribbling ability, but he was also decisive in the air and had a lethal shot with either foot.
Pelé scored 77 goals in 92 games for Brazil, while he has 1281 goals in 1363 games, according to his record. FIFA recognizes those numbers, but other experts also dispute them.
4. Ronaldo
The Brazilian Ronaldo could have gone down as the best footballer of all time, given the talent at his disposal. Nicknamed “O Fenomeno,” Ronaldo was devastating as a youngster in Brazil and then at PSV Eindhoven in Holland. He eventually earned a move to Barcelona, where he could not stop scoring either.
Ronaldo then got a massive transfer to Internazionale in Italy, where he suffered several injury setbacks. A devastating knee injury would end him as the explosive youngster who had set the sport on fire.
What was remarkable about Ronaldo is how he always came back from disappointments. When he could not inspire his team to glory at the 1998 World Cup, the Brazilian spent the next four years rehabilitating his body, learning a new way of playing, given he had lost some of his paces, and came back to win the World Cup in 2002.
5. Diego Maradona
The Argentine superstar was much more than a striker, as Maradona could play anywhere on the field. He was an attacking player who could start on the right, left, or in central positions and then have a go at the opposition's defense.
Maradona being so low on this list does not reflect our opinion of his abilities. He was one of the best footballers in history. However, a great deal of his talent involved playmaking from deeper positions. While he could score many goals, he never racked up goal statistics year after year like other players on this list.
Supporters of Italian Serie A side Napoli will also never forget Maradona. The late Argentine legend will live on in the memory of fans of the South American nation, given how he helped them win the World Cup.
Sports Team History looks at the history and logo of each professional sports team to have ever existed from the MLB, MLS, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Premier League, WNBA, XFL, ABA, AAF, or USFL.
One of our partner sites is Sports Logo History, a community of sports logo enthusiasts who enjoy each team’s logo history. In addition, we have added Sports News History to our sports history websites. 24/7 non-stop sports news that's worth knowing. Finally, the premier sports team marketplace for your favorite team or college, with thousands of items for you to peruse at Sports Market History.
