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The number 9 shirt has been worn by some of the world's most iconic players for some of the legendary clubs.
Players like Ronaldo Nazario, Filippo Inzaghi, Fernando Torres, Robbie Fowler and Alan Shearer are some of the few major players who have gone on to wear the shirt.
Having a good number 9 is crucial for a team's attack
A number 9 shirt is generally worn by the striker in the team. He is the finisher in the team and is someone who takes the team forward with their pace, dribbling, physicality and lethal finishing.
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Unlike the others, the number 9 in the team is considered as an out-and-out finisher but also a person who has the creativity and work rate of modern footballers.
On that note, here we take a look at the nine best number 9s in world football right now:
#9 Memphis Depay - Barcelona
Barcelona's new talisman Memphis Depay is ninth on our list of the best No. 9s in world football right now.
In a season where Barcelona saw their greatest ever player, Lionel Messi, depart the club amidst a huge financial crisis, Depay's arrival has been the shining light for the Catalans.
Depay arrived in Catalonia on the back of a brilliant season with Lyon, where he scored a career-best 20 league goals and provided 12 assists for the Ligue 1 outfit. His performances were crucial in Lyon finishing in the top four last season.
The Dutchman is already proving to be a shrewd signing by Barcelona having notched up three goals and an assist in eight games for the club.
With Barcelona in all sorts of problems on and off the field right now, they will be hoping that Depay is the shining light that guides them out of this dark hole.
#8 Jamie Vardy - Leicester City
Jamie Vardy has arguably been Leicester City's most important player over the years. His late rise to the top of English football has been an absolute treat to watch.
Vardy, who signed for Leicester in 2012, rose to stardom during the Foxes' remarkable Premier League winning campaign in the 2015-16 season. He was an integral part of the side, scoring 24 goals and registering six assists in the league as Leicester beat all odds to seal a remarkable title win.
Famous for his electric pace and poaching ability, Vardy has been a consistent scorer for Leicester in recent years.
Last season Vardy managed to register 15 goals and nine assists in the Premier League although Leicester lost out on the top-four spot on the last day of the season.
Vardy started the new season with five goals and an assist in eight games across all competitions.
With Brendan Rodgers building a fantastic team at the King Power stadium, Vardy will no doubt be expected to perform at the highest level this season.
#7 Michail Antonio - West Ham United
Michail Antonio has been utilized in a variety of positions during his West Ham career, including playing as a right-back and a right winger. But the forward is currently being deployed as a striker and he has arguably been playing some of his best football in that position.
Antonio had a decent Premier League campaign last season, scoring 10 goals and registering five assists in 26 games as the Hammers earned a qualification to the Europa League.
But his form as a No. 9 this season has been absolutely brilliant, earning him a spot on this list.
In just five Premier League appearances this season, Antonio has managed to score five goals and provide three assists.
The Jamaican international's performances also earned him the Premier League Player of the Month for August.
If Antonio can carry on with his form, the Hammers will definitely be a good bet to finish in the top six this season.
#6 Dusan Vlahovic - Fiorentina
Dusan Vlahovic might not be a household name but the forward's brilliant form in Serie A since the beginning of last season can never be overlooked.
The Serbian arrived in Fiorentina in the summer of 2018 from Partizan. Only 18 when joining the Serie A outfit, Vlahovic was sporadically used as he managed to get just 14 starts in his first two seasons in the league. But it was during the 2020-21 season where he managed to show how lethal he's in front of goal.
The youngster managed to rack up 21 goals and two assists in Serie A last season, finishing as the fourth-highest goal getter in the league.
Unsurprisingly, his performances attracted interest from a host of other clubs but the 21-year-old decided to remain at Fiorentina for the 2021-22 campaign.
Vlahovic has started the ongoing season brightly, scoring four goals in six league appearances for Fiorentina. The club will be hoping that Vlahovic can carry on his form this season as the club try to finish higher up the table.
#5 Luis Suarez - Atletico Madrid
Barcelona agreed to let Luis Suarez leave the club for free last summer and boy did they regret that decision.
Viewed as a striker in decline, the Uruguayan responded emphatically to those who questioned his ability by firing Atletico Madrid to the La Liga title. While there are certainly more prolific players on this list, none had the impact that Suarez made last year.
In 38 matches across all competitions, the forward managed to score 21 goals and provide three assists which included crucial match winning goals towards the end of the season.
Suarez has made a decent start in front of goal this season, with the 34-year-old scoring three goals in eight matches for Los Rojblancos. He will be hoping to have another good season and prove to everyone why he is still one of the best No. 9s in the world.
#4 Romelu Lukaku - Chelsea
Chelsea's new No. 9, Romelu Lukaku has developed into arguably one of the best strikers in Europe during his two-year spell with Inter Milan.
Lukaku was the driving force behind Inter Milan's first Scudetto win in 11 years.
The Belgian bagged 24 goals and provided 11 assists in 36 Serie A appearances and was a key reason why Inter were able to de-throne Juventus to clinch the title.
His overall time at Inter was a really productive one with the 28-year-old managing to score 64 goals and provide 16 assists in 95 games for the Nerazzurri. This meant the forward had 0.84 goal contributions per game during his time at the club.
Unfortunately, Inter's financial crisis meant that they had to sell some of their key players. As such, when Chelsea came calling with a €115 million bid, Inter decided to cash in on Lukaku. The former Everton star himself was keen to move on considering he had a point to prove at Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku has already made a brilliant start to his Chelsea career, scoring four goals in eight games.
#3 Karim Benzema - Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid in 2018 marked the end of an era for Los Blancos. With one of the best players departing the club, there were questions about whether other players in the side would step up.
That is exactly what Karim Benzema has done following Ronaldo's exit, developing into Madrid's go-to man upfront.
The forward scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in all competitions for Real Madrid last season. This was his second-best tally at Madrid, equalling his 2018-19 numbers and just two shy of the 2011-12 campaign when he hit 32 for the season.
His superb form saw him earn a recall to the French national team for the Euros, where he scored four goals in the tournament. However, he could not prevent France from exiting in the last 16 of the competition.
Under new manager Carlo Ancelotti, Benzema has started the new season in absolutely scintillating fashion. He has scored eight goals and registered seven assists in just seven league games, topping the charts for both goals and assists in La Liga right now.
If Benzema carries on with this form, there's no doubt he will be top of the list come the end of the season.
#2 Erling Haaland - Borussia Dortmund
Erling Haaland is, without a doubt, the most in-demand player in world football at the moment.
The Norwegian superstar has simply been sensational in every way, and regardless of the opposition or competition, he has managed to find the back of the net time after time.
Last season, the 21-year-old had an excellent ratio, having scored 41 goals in 41 games for Borussia Dortmund. He was the top-scorer in the Champions League with 10 goals while his 27 goals in the Bundesliga were also crucial in helping Dortmund finish in the top four.
Haaland also reached 20 Champions League goals in just 16 games, becoming the quickest ever player to do so.
The forward started the ongoing season from where he left off, scoring 11 and assisting a further four in eight games across all competitions.
Haaland has his whole future ahead of him and could well go on to become one of the all-time greats if he continues to replicate his current numbers.
#1 Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski is aging like a fine wine and just seems to be getting better and better each season.
The Polish striker netted 55 times in all competitions on Bayern Munich's way to achieving the treble during the 2019-20 season.
He carried on with his form last season and produced one of the best individual goalscoring seasons ever witnessed in the Bundesliga. He scored a record-breaking 41 goals in just 29 games to break Gerd Muller's 49-year-old record (40) for most strikes in a Bundesliga season.
His tally of 41 goals helped him win the European Golden Boot ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lewandowski has continued with his goalscoring form this season, netting 13 goals in just nine appearances across all competitions.
The mercurial forward's numbers speak for themselves and without a doubt, he is the best No. 9 in world football right now.
