Football teams are made up of players that play according to their roles but have the same goal: winning the game.
Despite the value of each role, the center-forward position is what makes a game; scoring the goals. The person in this position is closest to the opposing team’s goal posts and is primarily responsible for taking the necessary actions to score.
While some center forwards struggle, others successfully do this objective. However, this article covers six of the top center forwards currently playing in Europe.
- Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema was relatively unknown when Real Madrid acquired him from Lyon in 2009 as part of a significant roster overhaul but Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence obscured his efforts in the team. Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Real Madrid, Karim Benzema took it upon himself to shoot his Real Madrid side to glory – and shooting he has sure been doing!
The Frenchman is a creative, lethal, and prolific striker with a knack for always finding himself in the right positions to either poke or shoot the ball into the net.
Additionally, his wealth of experience has allowed him to outperform opposition defenders at their own game and properly deliver crucial game-changing passes to teammates at precisely the right moments. He has amassed a trophy cabinet as a result of his abilities.
Karim Benzema has scored 323 goals for Los Blancos in all competitions, scoring at least 10 goals every season except for his first. In the last Champions League season, top betting sites (as reviewed on https://www.telecomasia.net/sports-betting/sites/) provided amazing odds for Benzema to lead Real Madrid to victory – and he did just that!
- Erling Haaland
Just three years ago, Erling Haaland was only regarded as the young talented Norwegian playing for Red Bull Salzburg. It wasn’t until he moved to Borussia Dortmund that his talent was unveiled to a wider audience.
The 22-year-old is gifted with special attributes that make him stand out from the rest. He is fast, utilizing his pace to run down the opponents chasing him as he surges forward.
Talk about his height, this center forward maximizes this attribute fully, stretching forth his long legs with his body following simultaneously away from opponents. Besides, this gives him an added aerial advantage, heading home whenever possible.
Haaland’s positioning ingenuity is astounding; he consistently finds ways to evade defenses and tap the ball in.
The young forward’s career is still flourishing. Now playing for Manchester City, he is prepared to outperform his feats at Borussia Dortmund, where he scored 86 goals across all competitions.
- Kylian Mbappe
One of the revelations of the decade, Kylian Mbappe is a wonder to behold whenever he is on the field of play.
Mbappe started his professional with the Monaco team in 2015, playing for the Monaco II side and subsequently doing enough to break into the first team.
His immense display with the Monaco first team convinced PSG to snap him up on loan and then sign him permanently in 2018. Since then, he has risen through the ranks at fearsome speed, quickly establishing himself as one of the best center forwards in the world.
Kylian Mbappe is an avid dribbler, swift with the ball, and always reliable when called upon for those goals. Such is his prowess that the PSG authorities now see him as an indispensable player in their books, offering him a huge contract tying him to the club for three years amidst a €1 million weekly wage.
- Harry Kane
Harry Kane is a player who has grown from being a struggling striker to a lethal one both in the Premier League and in Europe.
The 29-year-old has had consistent performances in recent years with Tottenham, firmly securing his role as the club’s main striker. He has got 248 goals for Tottenham in all competitions, scoring double figures each in the last eight seasons of the Premier League.
Harry Kane can be best described as a goal poacher, quick, decisive, and possesses good vision. He also has a knack for striking those shots even when least expected.
Even though he and his squad haven’t won any trophies, they did make it to the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, just missing out on the trophy. But the gifted Englishman has won numerous individual honors, including the Premier League Golden Boot, which he won in 2015–2016, 2016–2017, and 2020–2021.
- Robert Lewandowski
Arguably the greatest Polish footballer ever, Robert Lewandowski has earned himself the bragging rights to be called one of the best strikers in the world.
The seasoned striker gained fame while playing for Borussia Dortmund and subsequently solidified his status after joining rival Bayern Munich, where he scored 344 goals in seven seasons.
Lewandowski is the epitome of what a successful center forward ought to be like. He has great positioning, great dribbling skills, height for aerial use, and most importantly, the ability to score goals.
With him on the team, Bayern Munich appeared unstoppable, cruising past rivals in the Bundesliga, winning the league multiple times in a row, and taking home the Champions League trophy in the 2019–2020 campaign.
2020 and 2021 were awards and trophy-laden years for Lewandowski as he won the Balon d’Or Striker of the year award for 2021 and The Best FIFA Men’s Award for both years.
- Cristiano Ronaldo
This list may not be deemed plausible if it does not contain the one whom most people refer to as the Greatest Of All Time.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s domineering display at the top has spanned more than a decade. He is one of the few players whose consistency has earned them a place in the history books.
The Portuguese striker is a total package. He possesses a wide range of exceptional abilities, including speed, vision, dribbling mastery, aerial dominance, and powerful shots.
Despite the Manchester United team performing below par in the 2021/2022 season, Ronaldo almost single-handedly did the whole work for the team, finishing the season as the top scorer with 18 goals in the Premier League and 24 goals across all competitions.