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Football has evolved a lot since the start of the decade. The game has become a lot more technical and intricate than it used to be, often making old notions feel obsolete.
However, when a goal is the need of the hour and no tactic is getting the results, we still tend to go back to our roots. We go back to simple, old school, cross-and-pray football.
Today, we will take a look at five forwards of this century who know how to find the back of the net with their heads.
Here are five footballers who have scored the most headed goals in the 21st century:
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Stats via: Transfermarkt
#5 Radamel Falcao (Rayo Vallecano) - 71 goals
Former Monaco high-flier Radamel Falcao is one of the finest forwards of this generation. Yes, the hype around him has died down over the last few seasons, but one cannot overlook the match-winning performances he produced in his prime.
In his heyday, Falcao could not only score effortlessly from either foot, but he was also an exceptional header of the ball.
Falcao, who has played for the likes of River Plate, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United and Chelsea, currently plies his trade at La Liga side Rayo Vallecano. The Colombia international has scored 298 goals so far in club football. Out of his 298 strikes, 71 have come off his head.
Falcao’s heading ability has often proved to be decisive for his clubs in the 21st century. 22 of his 71 headers have ended up leading his teams to victory.
His last headed effort in club football came in the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on La Liga matchday 13.
#4 Fernando Llorente (Eibar) - 75 goals
Eibar’s Fernando Llorente may not be regarded as one of the best in the business, but he sure is a mean header of the ball.
Athletic Bilbao graduate Fernando Llorente has never been the sharpest player out there, but he’s always been a great target man. Float the ball over to him and chances are he will work the keeper with a thumping header.
Llorente, who has played for Athletic Bilbao, Tottenham Hotspur and Sevilla, among others, has scored 178 goals in club football so far.
75 of his 178 goals have been headers, which is enough to tell you how good he is in the air. Out of his 75 headers, 21 have been game-winning goals for his clubs.
Currently playing for Segunda division side Eibar, Llorente has not been able to find the back of the net in ten matches this season.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 77 goals
Arguably the best striker of his generation and currently The Best FIFA Men’s player, Robert Lewandowski, has mastered the art of goalscoring.
The Bayern Munich maverick is an excellent reader of the game, can score from every angle, and is always on the lookout for goalscoring opportunities. His insatiable hunger for goals has turned him into a generational goalscorer, allowing him to outshine even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Poland international, who made the switch from Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich in 2014, has scored 477 goals in 330 matches in club football. 77 of his 477 strikes have been headers.
As the numbers suggest, Lewandowski has a strong penchant for putting his head on the ball.
Unsurprisingly, he has won quite a few matches with his headed efforts. So far, Lewandowski has scored 18 match-winning headers in his career, the last of which came against Freiburg in the Bundesliga back in 2019-20.
#2 Luuk de Jong (FC Barcelona) - 77 goals
Current Barcelona striker Luuk de Jong is the best header of the ball in La Liga right now, at least statistically. De Jong is an orthodox centre-forward, one who is never afraid of going into battle. He is not particularly quick, but his off-the-ball movement and aerial ability more than make up for it.
Seeing the Netherlands international at Barcelona might seem weird to regular followers of the club, as Barcelona have rarely been dependent on scoring through crosses. But without Messi there to pull the strings, De Jong's directness has not hurt.
In his club career, the former Sevilla man has scored 77 headers, 21 of which have been match-winning strikes.
De Jong’s last match-winning headed goal came this season itself, in the 1-0 win over Mallorca on La Liga matchday 19.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) - 110 goals
Unsurprisingly, Manchester United no.7 Cristiano Ronaldo has occupied the top spot on our list and by a landslide. In club football, the Portuguese ace has scored 688 goals in 455 matches, out of which 110 have come off his head.
Ronaldo also tops the list in terms of match-winning headers. He has scored 28 match-winning headers in his career, which in itself is an extraordinary statistic.
Ronaldo, who was recently given a special award by FIFA for becoming the leading goalscorer in international football, currently operates as a centre-forward for United. He uses his world-class off-the-ball movement to get away from defenders and strike when least expected.
Set to turn 37 in February, Ronaldo is determined to end his career on a high. Competitive as he is, we won’t be surprised if he recovers from his rough patch and gives his tally one last tangible boost this year.
