Goal scoring is arguably the most difficult aspect of the game of football. As a result, it’s no surprise that the most sought-after players in the sport are lethal finishers. They are also the most expensive to transfer.
Goalscorers such as Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, and Romelu Lukaku have been instrumental in their teams’ success in recent seasons. Finishing ability is one of the most important skills for a goalscorer to have because putting the ball in the back of the net is a difficult skill to master. On that note, here are the top five finishers in world football right now.
Number 5: Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe, along with Erling Haaland, is expected to take the ball from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi and dominate the game for the next few years.
Mbappe, who is only 22 years old, has already won the FIFA World Cup with France and the Ligue 1 title with two different clubs, Monaco and PSG. The Frenchman was instrumental in PSG’s run to the 2020-21 Champions League semi-finals. Mbappe scored eight goals throughout the tournament, including a hat-trick against Barcelona and a brace against Bayern Munich.
The 22-year-old has made a strong start to his 2021-22 Ligue 1 season, scoring six goals and providing six assists in 12 appearances. Mbappe has established himself as one of the game’s generational talents in recent seasons. He is particularly lethal in one-on-one combat and a master of counters.
Mbappe has found the back of the net 169 times in his senior career, appearing in 250 games. In addition, the Frenchman has 90 assists to his name.
Number 4: Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland, the star of Borussia Dortmund, is a force of nature and unquestionably one of the most clinical finishers in world football right now.
In his relatively short career, Haaland has a mind-boggling goal-scoring record. He is known for his dominant physical presence as well as being one of the continent’s fastest strikers. Haaland recently set a Bundesliga record with a speed of 36.04 km/h.
The 21-year-old has matured far beyond his years and exudes calm and confidence in front of goal. Many questioned whether he could make it big in one of Europe’s top leagues after his exploits at RB Salzburg.
Haaland has averaged over a goal per game since joining Borussia Dortmund in the 2020 winter transfer window. The Norwegian international has 70 goals and 19 assists in 69 appearances for the German club.
Haaland scored eight goals in six appearances in his first Champions League season with RB Salzburg. The 21-year-old has 21 goals and three assists in 18 appearances in the competition so far.
Number 3: Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi‘s move to PSG in the summer transfer window of 2021 created a lot of buzz and excitement among fans worldwide.
Following his Copa America triumph, the Argentine took on a new challenge, leaving his boyhood club Barcelona after a 21-year association. Barcelona’s struggles in the 2021-22 season have highlighted Messi’s importance in their squad. Even though he has taken some time to adjust to life in Paris, his goal-scoring record for Barcelona is nothing short of incredible.
The Argentine finished his career at Camp Nou with 672 goals and 305 assists in nearly 800 appearances across all competitions. Messi’s left foot is arguably the most remarkable in the game’s history, as he almost always finds the target with his strong foot. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner can dribble past defenders at breakneck speed and shoot with either foot at any time.
Despite playing for an underperforming Barcelona team in the 2020-21 season, Messi scored 38 goals and assisted 14 times across all competitions. The Argentine has had a slow start to his PSG career, scoring only three goals in eight games across all competitions.
Messi, on the other hand, has averaged a goal per game in the 2021-22 Champions League. He has three goals in three Champions League games for the Parisians.
Number 2: Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah is arguably the best player in the game right now, based on his current form. The Egyptian wizard has 17 goals and six assists in 15 appearances across competitions in the 2021-22 season.
Over the years, he has been regarded as one of the best dribblers and playmakers in the final third. This season, Salah’s finishing has reached new heights. He is currently competing with Messi for the best-left foot in world football. The Egyptian’s signature move is to cut inside and pull the trigger with his left foot.
Salah has scored seven goals in four appearances in the Champions League this season, averaging nearly two goals per game. This included braces against Porto and Atletico Madrid, as well as a goal in Liverpool’s 3-2 win over AC Milan on Matchday 1.
The 29-year-old is currently negotiating a contract extension with Liverpool. In his current state, the board finds it difficult to say no to his reasonable demands. If the two parties are unable to reach an agreement, many top clubs across Europe would be eager to sign the prolific goalscorer.
Number 1: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, even at the age of 36, remains one of the most clinical finishers in world football, averaging nearly a goal per game in a misfiring Manchester United side.
The Portuguese superstar returned to Old Trafford in spectacular fashion, scoring a brace against Newcastle in his first game back. Ronaldo has been hampered by a lack of scoring opportunities created by the United players around him. Despite this, he has nine goals in 12 appearances across competitions.
This season, Ronaldo has maintained his dominance in the Champions League. He is a big reason why Manchester United is at the top of their league. Ronaldo scored two injury-time goals to help Atalanta earn a point and Villarreal earn all three points.
In the game against Atalanta, three of his four shots were on target. In that game, he also found the back of the net twice. That was a prime example of Ronaldo’s lethal goal-scoring and finishing ability in big games.;
