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Forwards are the main reason for a football match to be decided and for fans to dream about their favourite team scoring plenty of goals and doing some sublime skills. With their dazzling dribbling, piercing passing and superb striking make fans stick to the action as those moments are unmissable and breathtaking.
Forwards are creators as well as scorers. They are a major source for highlights after the match day. With their brilliant play, they are the ones who extremely attract new fans to the game. Without them, football might not have gotten such a huge fan base and also might not be as good as it is.
Although our intention is not to weigh down the contributions of goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders. Football is a team game and every aspect is very important, but this article's prime focus is on forwards.
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We have selected 10 best forwards(strikers and wingers, excluding attacking midfielders) who are currently playing and making some immense contributions to their team.
Unfortunately, we can not accompany some top forwards in our list, they are the players who could make the cut on another day, here are some honourable mentions.
Luis Suarez, Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Mauro Icardi, and Diego Costa.
So without further ado, let us quickly dive into our top 10 forward list.
#10 Edinson Cavani
Country: Uruguay
Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Position: Striker
Strengths: Physicality and aerial advantage
Cavani's World Cup performances showed the world how good he could be, he played a key role in the round of 16 tie against Portugal and drove Uruguay to the quarterfinals, and his team could have given a strong fight against France if he was not injured.
He was always behind the shadows of some players where he played like Suarez, Diego Forlan, Ibrahimovic and now Neymar. But he emerged from the shadows and showed his prowess with his sensational form for PSG last season, scoring 28 goals in Ligue 1 and topping the chart and also performed superbly for his country in the recently concluded World Cup.
His immaculate finishing, aerial strength and industrious nature possess a threat to any defence in the world.
This guy is the best at his best, he has all the qualities of a perfect striker and with his current form ensure his status in our top 10 list. Hopefully, he, along with his two world-class teammates, Neymar and Mbappe, will deliver Champions League glory to their club.
Delicious, complete feast.
#9 Antoine Griezmann
Country: France
Current Club: Atletico Madrid
Position: Centre-Forward/LW/RW
Strengths: Clever movements, holding the ball and passing
Achieved the highest success at the international level by helping his nation to bring back the World Cup. Also awarded as the player of the tournament for UEFA Euro 2016.
He also helped Atletico Madrid clinch the recent Europa League with two goals that earned him the man of the match award in the final. He was also part of the team that outclassed Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup recently.
Griezmann's best quality is that even when he is not performing with the ball, he has a knack for creating spaces for other players around him with his cunning runs around the defenders. He also does well to hold the ball in tight situations and can find a pass to his teammates from nowhere.
He is an adaptable player to the situation, he can play aggressively during the counter-attacks and can also defend for the team when needed, which makes him a prime choice for a manager in the modern game.
Although he lacks strength in the air he makes up with the other qualities, it will not be an exaggeration to say that without his goals and assists Atletico Madrid and France would not have been where they are now.
His talent drew attention from many top clubs, including Manchester United and Barcelona. But he maintained his loyalty to his current club, Atletico Madrid, and this season is going to be huge for himself as well as for his club as he is in the peaks of his game at the moment.
"Antoine is one of the best players in the world. He's an intelligent, cunning and very talented footballer. He's also really good in the air. You have to keep a close eye on him because he has the ability to lose you at any moment. We have to keep track of his movement if we want to win." - Adil Rami, his French teammate, described Griezmann during the UEFA Europa League final.
#8 Gareth Bale
Country: Wales
Current Club: Real Madrid
Position: Right Winger
Strengths: Pace, great ball striking ability from long distances and knuckleball freekicks.
“He’s the greatest. I didn’t see John Charles play and many others around that time, but Gareth is the greatest I’ve seen." - Ryan Giggs Welsh football coach on Bale.
Ryan Giggs was 100% true, and Bale has such a talent that his presence can improve any team in the world. It is not an exaggeration to say that Greth Bale might have won a Ballon d'Or if he was not plagued by injuries.
He was lightning quick and his goal against Barcelona during the 2014 Copa del Rey final was a perfect example for that. He left Marc Bartra in his wake before netting a sensational goal that sealed the game for Real Madrid.
Bale is a big match player, he raises his game to the highest level and contributes to the team more when it needs the most. One month on from that solo goal in the Copa del Rey final, Bale proved his worth by scoring a goal in the 2013/14 UCL final to put Real Madrid ahead of Atletico Madrid for their 'La Decima'.
He continued his big match performances during the recent Champions League, entered as a substitute in the second half and blew away Liverpool with a sensational overhead goal and scored his second that night with a swirling long-range shot, although half of its credit goes to Loris Karius. This performance helped Real to win three successive Champions League titles, a feat any team could only dream about.
Although Bale is well known for his blistering runs down the pitch, he can also control the ball precisely on that tremendously speedy run, he has a powerful shot and can unleash that far from the goal. His deadly freekicks are nightmares to any goalkeeper, he can head the ball and he is as strong as a bull, he's also a perfect crosser, you name it he has every skill in his skill box and it is a delight to watch when he is in full flow.
With Ronaldo's departure from Real Madrid, Bale is the man to fill the void left by the Portuguese superstar, and this guy has all the attributes to do that if he can stay fit and injury free throughout the season.
#7 Sergio Aguero
Country: Argentina
Current Club: Manchester City
Position: Striker
Strengths: Dribbling, Sharpshooting
"Agueroooo..." the iconic commentary line from Martin Tyler gives every Manchester City fan goosebumps throughout their lives. Aguero's last-minute goal erupted for the entire stadium in delight, and it might have a reading of 10 on the Richter scale! Sergio Aguero, the man who created the foundations for the power shift in the city with his extra time heroics against QPR in the 2011/12 Premier League season, will ever be remembered as the greatest moment in Manchester City's history.
Relive the famous 'Agueroooo...' moment.
"Sergio is a photocopy of Romário, they are the same player" – Roberto Mancini (former Manchester City manager)
Before setting the Premier League on fire, Aguero had a successful campaign with Atletico Madrid, where he helped "Los Rojiblancos" to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in over ten years. He also won the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup during the 2009/10 season.
He is arguably the standout player in the Premier League, as he scores goals consistently if not the injuries he had he would have added many more goals for fun. He was under the shadows for Argentina of his fellow countryman Messi, who was arguably the best on the planet at the moment, but he raised the standards of the Premier League with his immense talent and could obliterate all Premier League records if he could maintain his fitness and this level of play for a prolonged period of time.
Aguero is probably one of the best finishers in the game at the moment. He scores goals with great finesse. Due to his low centre of gravity and a strong body, it is almost impossible for defenders to get the ball away from his feet. He is technically sound and has a great passing ability.
He has already started this season exceptionally well with a hattrick in the second game against Huddersfield, and he shows no signs of slowing down and this season could be his best yet and possibly help his team land their first Champions League trophy.
'Planted an absolute cracker into the top corner...'
#6 Eden Hazard
Country: Belgium
Current Club: Chelsea
Position: Left Winger
Strengths: Dribbling, Holding the Ball and Off the Ball Movement
"On his day, nobody can stop him. He has such great quality on the ball. He can create something from nothing, and this is the sign of a special player." – Thierry Henry on Eden Hazard
From a teenage sensation at Lille to one of the world's best Eden Hazard is such a talent and he is getting better with time like wine!
He just showed to the world how good he was in the recent World Cup, he gave everything to his team and those contributions are world-class, which are second to none. In a game against Brazil during the quarter-finals stage, he was up against a mighty side Brazil who is top favourites to win the World Cup, and the team has some star-studded names in the likes of Neymar and Coutinho.
But Hazard outclassed them with one of the performances of the World Cup. He hardly put a foot wrong and helped his team beat mighty Brazil to progress to the semi-finals.
He is at the peak of his game now, and you can understand why a club like Real Madrid wanted to replace Ronaldo with this guy after Ronaldo's departure, Real Madrid won't get after you unless you are a great player. This signifies how good a player Eden Hazard is.
He usually plays on the left wing, and with his bursting pace, he is the defenders' nightmare. He has a wonderful passing ability and dribbling skills he can run in opponents' defence with ease, his of the ball movement creates havoc in the opposition, overall a phenomenal player and probably reaching even more heights in the coming days.
Hazard played a huge role in Chelsea's success in the Premier League on two occasions in the 2014/15 and 2016/17 seasons. If that has to be repeated, he needs to produce the magic he did in the World Cup for Chelsea week in week out. If that happens, it will be a treat for this year's Premier League.
'He doesn't score tap-ins,' does he?
#5 Mohamed Salah
Country: Egypt
Current Club: Liverpool
Position: Right Winger/Second Striker
Strengths: speed, dribbling and finishing
A season ago, who would have thought any player other than Neymar would be an heir to Ronaldo and Messi. A player who was rejected by Chelsea in his first term in the Premier League could he ever come good for Liverpool when they paid a record fee to lure him back to the Premier League. Now that he seems a bargain, this guy has defied the odds of doing unimaginable things: his name is on every Liverpool fan's lips – 'Mo Salah, Mo Salah, Mo Salah, running down the wing. Salah la, la, la, la, la, la. The Egyptian king.'
Mo Salah, the Egyptian, won several awards, including the Golden Boot, the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Football Writers' Player of the Year for the 2017/18 season. It is understandable how well he has done since he was loaned out to Fiorentina, Roma by Chelsea, and since his return to the Premier League, he was just phenomenal.
He was such an impact player for Liverpool last season and the main man behind Jurgen Klopp's spectacular attacking football. He helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final after eleven years but couldn't help them clinch the trophy as he got injured during the match.
Salah was the top scorer for his country and played a key role in World Cup qualifications. His last-minute penalty against Congo sent Egypt to the World Cup for the first time since 1990.
Salah's ability on the ball is a thrill to watch, and his dribbling combined with speed is eye pleasing. He can pass the ball at high pacy runs with perfection, he uses his speed to defeat defenders, and he usually plays on the wings mostly on the right wing, which enables him to drift into the centre of the pitch to unleash a shot with his strong left foot. His playing style drew comparisons with Messi.
This season Liverpool is looking more complete as a team, which means Salah can play more freely and with less pressure. He has been on the list of the top three FIFA Men's Player of the Year 2018 awards and if he can replicate his last season's performances he could win that award and even more will follow.
"Salah goes again, Salah still, Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Salah! That's an amazing goal! It's a work of genius!"
#4 Kylian Mbappe
Country: France
Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Position: Centre-Forward/Right Winger/Left Winger
Strengths: a clinical eye for goals, explosive pace, quick feet and dribbling
At just 19, he won the World Cup with France playing a vital role for Les Bleus in the process; at this tender age, he is already the most exciting youngster on the planet. Kylian Mbappe is the poster boy for a new generation of talent in world football.
"He had technique and vision in the game that most children just don't have. He's got eyes in the back of his head. He knows how to anticipate where the ball will go. Here, he never played for his proper age group; he always played with older children because there was no point leaving him with kids his own age.” – Atmane Airouche, president of AS Bondy(where Mbappe began his career), on Mbappé as a child.
He won the Fifa Young Player Award for his performances at the 2018 World Cup, scoring four goals for his team and helping his nation secure their second World Cup. He was the youngest player to score a brace on a World Cup knockout stage since Pele in the 1958 FIFA World Cup final against Sweden. He is one of the strongest contenders for this year's Ballon d'Or award.
“Probably, at this age, he is even better in front of the goal than Henry was.” – Gianluigi Buffon, during Juventus' Champions League encounter with Monaco
This manchild's precocious performances drew comparisons with his fellow countryman French superstar Thierry Henry and Brazil's phenomenal striker Ronaldo. It is understandable that his remarkable performances during the World Cup and even at the club level exceeded the expectations of the fans and it seems he was mature enough to take the tag of a world-class player considering at the age he is doing all this is incredible.
Despite his tender age, he has a full variety of skills in his bag and he has plenty of time to add many more to his repertoire.
He is a versatile player who can either play on the left wing or right wing, due to his ability to play on either foot. He can also be deployed as a striker due to his agility, composure and deadly finishing. His acceleration with and without the ball is spell-binding; he can terrorize any defensive line with his pace and dribbling skills.
His on and off the ball movements are brilliant, and with his quick feet and step-overs creates havoc in the opposition's box. One other important quality he posses is that he changes his pace and direction suddenly to beat defenders in one on one situation which is impressive. With all this stuff, he is also athletic and calm which gives an added advantage over his competitors.
Wonderkids come along every season but many fail to live up to their expectations. But once in a blue moon, a player shows up who looks almost destined for superstar status, that aura is reflecting all over this guy who seems to set the world on fire in the coming time.
'There's the pace, there's the potential and the lethal finishing.'
#3 Neymar
Country: Brazil
Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain
Position: Left Winger/Second Striker
Strengths: Dribbling, free-kicks, passing and decision making.
Neymar Jr., the most expensive player in world football right now, well the price for which he was bought by PSG may raise some eyebrows, but he is at an elite level where adding someone like him to the team is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any club and such talent can't be measured in terms of money, this guy was the absolute genius of a player.
Ever since his career started as a professional player at the age of 17 for Brazilian club Santos he went on to surpass expectations with his performances showing great signs of improvement in every match he played which have drawn the comparisons him to the Brazilian legend Pele who also played for the club.
Relive Neymar's goal of winning the Puskas award by beating Wayne Rooney's fantastic overhead kick against Manchester City and Lionel Messi's cheeky flick against Arsenal in the Champions League.
His continued top-class performance drew attention from numerous clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid and Barcelona. He eventually ended up playing for Blaugrana, where he formed one of the best-attacking partnerships the world has ever witnessed with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, where he won everything with Barcelona at the club level.
The only thing that haunts Brazil's talisman is the World Cup glory, he failed to help Brazil twice in their pursuit of the coveted prize. On both occasions, he was the star player for the Selecao but last time, injury denied him and this time it was Belgium's golden generation and Brazil's bad luck that left the star in despair.
Many fans judge him based on the World Cup performances and much criticism is laid upon him due to his theatrical antics of diving when tackled by a player instead of carrying the ball forward with pundits citing his attitude and mentality but his lack of physical attributes which might have also played a part for him to do such kind of things to avoid physical battles.
Controversies aside, he is the third-highest goalscorer for his country, only 4 goals behind Ronaldo's (62) and 19 goals behind the legend Pele's (77). He has all the time to surpass both superstars and that could be a sensational achievement.
Neymar often plays as a left winger, occasionally as a second striker. His trademark is running down the pitch with his explosive pace, cutting inside and surprising defenders from any of his bag full of tricks like rabona, the fake rabona, the rainbow, the step over, the 360 flick and all kinds of body feints.
His passing ability and ball control are joyful to watch, and he can always find a way to go past the defender even in tight situations or find a teammate from nowhere, he can finish with both feet and with deadly accuracy.
"When I am asked about Messi and Cristiano, I say that Neymar is best for me. It is not just for his goals, but for the ease with which he plays and the confidence he has." - Roberto Carlos.
Despite all his fantastic displays, he will need to add an extra bit of hard work to be the next Ballon d'Or favourite, and he has every bit of talent that could land him that coveted prize in the coming days and probably a perfect heir to Messi and Ronaldo.
The king of entertainment – his dance moves are equally good as his footballing skills.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo
Country: Portugal
Current Club: Juventus
Position: Left Winger/Second Striker
Strengths: Heading, finishing and holding the ball
UEFA Best Player in Europe: 3
European Golden Shoe: 4
Ballon d'Or: Five times(2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 & 2017)
From a skinny Portuguese boy to one of the greatest athletes on the planet, Cristiano Ronaldo will go down in history as one of the game's greats. Well, if any human could reach the utmost pinnacle of the game then Ronaldo would be the perfect example for that.
He could be standardized for the maximum efficiency a human being can deliver on a football pitch, and this guy is the king on the football turf, a perfect role model for aspiring young footballers around the world.
No matter how well you have played, how dominant you were on the field and how good you controlled the ball in the centre of the pitch, at the end of the day the game is decided by goals scored and Cristiano Ronaldo is the synonym for that. This guy scored a staggering amount of 658 goals in his professional club and international career.
He is the all-time European International's top scorer with 85 goals, the highest goalscorer in Real Madrid's history (451 goals), Champions League record goalscorer (120 goals) and he keeps on obliterating every record in the coming time. And this topic won't end if we continue to discuss the individual honours this superhuman has achieved.
Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible athleticism makes him a thrill to watch whenever he is on the pitch. He is capable of playing on either side of the pitch, and his favourite right foot makes him lethal coming down from the left wing. He can also play through the centre, which he is doing nowadays which also helps him score many goals.
Ronaldo is a complete player: he can score solo goals, he has incredible dribbling skills, he is one of the fastest football players in the world, he can score long-range goals with tremendous power, he is one of the best headers of the game scoring some amazing headers at crucial moments to tilt the balance in favour of his team, Ronaldo is also an intelligent player who creates space for himself with brilliant runs that provides scoring opportunities.
"What a header, you can't stop that, the leap, the spring the way he held himself in the air. What a header. I blamed Patrice Evra for his goal at first for not challenging - then I saw the replay and I felt a bit stupid. On the replay, Ronaldo's knee is about as high as Evra's head. It was phenomenal! I've seen it before, and I don't think any other player in the world can do that - certainly not Lionel Messi." - Sir Alex Ferguson on Ronaldo's header against Manchester United in the Champions League last-16 at Santiago Bernabeu.
With all the skills and tricks Ronaldo has an added advantage in terms of his physical abilities, which makes a perfect player and arguably the perfect player to have ever graced on a football pitch.
Ronaldo has now started a new chapter with Juventus after a successful nine seasons with Real Madrid, thrilled the Premier League, conquered La Liga and now wants to set Serie A on fire, hoping he can replicate his success with Juventus.
Also, read: Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus is the first step to reviving Italian football
'Here's Ronaldoooooooo... out of this world!'
#1 Lionel Messi
Country: Argentina
Current Club: Barcelona
Position: Second Striker/RW/Centre-Forward
Strengths: Vision, creativity, dribbling, finishing, free-kicks, ball control,...
UEFA Best Player in Europe: 2
European Golden Shoe: 5
Copa America Golden Ball: 2015
Ballon d'Or: Five times(2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2015)
FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2014 World Cup
Lionel Messi: Born to play football creates magic with his feet, there is nobody who has produced the kind of magic on the pitch that the diminutive Argentine has at least in his era. We are privileged to witness the footballing genius whose play on the pitch seems like he's not human.
"Although he may not be human, it’s good that Messi still thinks he is." - Javier Mascherano
Ever since his first senior appearance at the club level for Barcelona, he was delivering for his club at the highest level consistently, this guy seemed a sensation from day one. He scored an incredible 621 senior level goals for his club and country.
He has a record for being the all-time top scorer in a calendar year (2012) scoring 91 goals averaging 1.32 goals per game, which is unbelievable. He is La Liga's top goalscorer with 387 goals, and nobody has won four Ballon d'Or's in a row, which says how dominant he was during those years. He was born to create records that were unbreakable.
Barcelona would not have achieved the level of success they had now without Messi, but he is one of the reasons why the club is regarded as a superpower in football, that aura was created by the little magician and the base of it probably took place when he tormented one of Europe's superpowers Manchester United to deny the English champions twice the European glory with some amazing displays at an elite level, those two Champions League performances were two of the best in his career.
This is when the world believed an heir to Maradona was born.
Messi's plethora of success is one that stands tall above the rest, but apart from his awards and success, his skill on the field is stellar. This guy can do anything on a football pitch, his ball carrying ability is the best in the current generation, it seems the ball is glued to his feet when he is dribbling, he is an amazing passer and creator, he can even pass a ball through the eye of a needle.
He has a wonderful left foot with which he can score any type of goal in a football textbook, his freekicks are lethal and if his team is in trouble just giving the ball to him, he will score or create for his teammates in any situation of the game. Nobody understands the game better than him, he is just phenomenal and words are not enough to describe this genius player. He is a legend from another world.
'Magical Messi, he is something else!'
