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The job of a forward or an attacker is very physically demanding. They are always looking for space in and around the final third and constantly getting into physical battles with defenders.
They also have to help out in defence and are therefore almost always on the move. As such, forwards peak and start to fade earlier than usual.
Forwards enjoy longer peaks in the modern game
However, due to the renewed focus on dietary plans and fitness regimes in modern football, the shelf life of forwards has increased vastly. Some of today's best strikers in the world right now are above the age of 30.
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This generation has produced some of the best marksmen in the history of the game. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best forwards above the age of 30 this season.
#5 Edin Dzeko (Inter Milan)
When Romelu Lukaku left Inter Milan last summer, there was an overwhelming sense of disappointment among the Nerazzurri. The Belgian international's lavish supply of goals was critical to their triumphant Serie A campaign.
But Inter Milan were prepared to make a quick fix and signed Edin Dzeko on a free transfer. The Bosnian international has been excellent for Simone Inzaghi's side this season. Dzeko, who will turn 36 on March 17, has 97 Serie A goals to his name.
85 of those have come for AS Roma and he has added 12 in the league this time for Inter Milan. In 38 appearances across all competitions for the reigning Serie A champions, Dzeko has scored 16 goals and provided nine assists.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Cristiano Ronaldo has hit a couple of lean patches this season and much has been made about that. The fact of the matter is that even at 37-years-old, Ronaldo continues to be one of the best forwards in the world.
Ronaldo scored a spectacular hat-trick in Manchester United's 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday. He has now become the leading goalscorer for club and country and has 807 goals to his name. He surpassed Austro-Czech striker Josef Bican's record that lasted for six and a half decades.
Ronaldo continues to come up clutch for the Red Devils and has been one of their standout performers this season. In 32 appearances across all competitions, the Portuguese international has scored 18 goals and provided three assists.
#3 Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
Ciro Immobile won the European Golden Shoe in the 2019-20 season, netting 36 goals in Serie A. In 44 appearances across all competitions that term, Immobile scored 39 goals and provided eight assists. His output reduced rather drastically in the 2020-21 season but he still managed to put up decent numbers.
Immobile netted 25 times and set up eight goals in 41 appearances last season. The Italian international had a bit of an underwhelming outing at Euro 2020, scoring just two goals in six appearances. Towards the end of the summer, it llooked a lot like his best years were behind him.
However, the 32-year-old has turned it around this season and is a man on a mission to prove his critics wrong. The Lazio forward has scored 26 goals and provided four assists in 33 appearances across all competitions so far this season.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Maybe Robert Lewandowski is just too good for the Bundesliga. There is no other way to make sense of his incredibly prolific goalscoring form in the German top-flight. Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's record for the most goals in a single Bundesliga season last term (40), by netting 41 in 29 appearances.
The Polish international has been on fire this season as well. So far, he has scored 29 goals in 26 appearances in the Bundesliga. The Bayern Munich forward's overall goal tally across all competitions is even more impressive.
The 33-year-old has a haul of 43 goals and four assists in just 36 appearances across all competitions for the Bavarians this term. Lewandowski is an early favorite for the 2022 Ballon d'Or and if he can keep up this form, this could very well be his year.
#1 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
Real Madrid are on course to win another La Liga title and it would simply be unthinkable for Los Blancos without their star striker Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has elevated his game significantly over the past couple of years and has shown the world why he is one of the best strikers of his generation.
The 34-year-old most recently scored a 17-minute hat-trick in the second half of the second leg of Real Madrid's Champions League Round of 16 tie against PSG. PSG were 2-0 down heading into the last half-hour and that's when Benzema executed a blitzkrieg of sorts to snatch the game from the Parisians' hands.
Benzema has produced plenty of match-winning performances for Real Madrid this season. The Real Madrid forward has been such a difference maker for his side that Carlo Ancelotti's men have looked half the side when he is not playing.
In 33 appearances across all competitions this term, Benzema has scored 30 goals and provided 12 assists.
