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It's a common adage that attacks win games, which still holds true in the modern game. That explains why some of the most expensive players in the game's history are attackers, or more specifically, strikers.
A plethora of fine strikers have graced the game, especially in recent years. Some of them are still going strong despite being on the wrong side of 30, scoring goals galore for club and country.
Without further ado, here's a look at the five best strikers in the game at the moment:
#5 Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid/Uruguay)
Luis Suarez is one of the most prolific strikers to have graced the game since the turn of the century.
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After making his name at Ajax and Liverpool, Suarez enhanced his burgeoning reputation at Barcelona, where he scored 195 goals in 283 appearances. Now at Atletico Madrid, the 34-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Last season, he scored 21 league goals to help the Rojiblancos to their first La Liga title in seven years. Suarez has seemingly continued from where he left off last season, netting eight times across competitions already.
Suarez, Uruguay's all-time top-scorer, recently ended his nine-game duck by scoring in his team's 4-1 loss to Brazil in the FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United/Portugal)
Cristiano Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the best players to have graced the game. During a prolific career for club and country which has lasted almost two decades now, he has scored goals and won big titles galore.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has hit the ground running on his return to Manchester United after more than a decade. He has scored nine times across competitions despite United struggling in recent games.
The 36-year-old won his first Capocannonieri award last season, scoring 29 goals. He also excelled at Euro 2020, bagging five goals and an assist even as holders Portugal crashed out in the Round of 16.
Though he is in the 30-man shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d'Or award, Ronaldo is unlikely to win it, as he didn't win any major title this year.
#3 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund/Norway)
Erling Haaland is one of the best young strikers in the game at the moment. He introduced himself with a memorable hat-trick on his UEFA Champions League debut in 2019-20, and hasn't looked back since.
Earlier this year, the 21-year-old became the quickest player to score 20 goals in the competition, lowering the previous record by a staggering ten games.
The Norway international has been on a tear since joining Borussia Dortmund last January, scoring 70 times across competitions. Last season, he scored 41 times across competitions for BvB, and is already up to 13 this campaign.
#2 Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/France)
Karim Benzema is aging like fine wine despite being on the wrong side of 30. He has been on a tear this season, netting 14 times across competitions.
The Real Madrid marksman is closing in on 300 goals for the club. A total of 101 of these strikes have come after Madrid's all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo left Los Blancos in the summer of 2018.
Returning to the international fold after six years, Benzema has also sizzled for France, scoring six times across competitions. Two of these strikes helped Les Bleus win the UEFA Nations League, boosting Benzema's case to land this year's Ballon d'Or award.
#1 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich/Poland)
Robert Lewandowski is arguably the hottest striker on the planet at the moment. Bayern Munich's prolific Pole has been plundering goals for quite some time now.
The 33-year-old has already netted 23 times across competitions this season. He has now scored over 300 goals for the club in seven years since arriving on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
Last season, Lewandowski (41) broke the late Gerd Muller's fifty-year-old record of most goals (40) in a Bundesliga season. This campaign, he has become the quickest player to score 80 times in the Champions League.
Considering his staggering exploits, the Poland international is a strong contender to win the 2021 Ballon d'Or award.
