Here is the countdown of the top 10 best forwards in the world in 2024.
A footballer is the man forward with bright moments because he brings light to the game. The games inspire the fans with his ultimate win in the match for his team.
The attacking role in the team has evolved and where the current-day forward is not just for scoring but also for creating, pressing, and bringing much-needed versatility all along the front line.
As the world entered 2024, this latest crop of forwards stunned the world stage by driving the extreme of those abilities, athleticism, and consistency.
Top 10 Best Forwards in the World into 2024: Deadly Strikers, Dynamic Wingers, or a Little of Both: players who can dominate the game in domestic leagues and international competitions coupled with the big-team European competition on the biggest stage.
Consistency game in and week out makes them stand out as some of the best attacking in the realm of football.
Top 10 Best Forwards In The World 2024
10 Son Heung-Min
Son Heung-Min has developed into one of the more consistent, flexible forwards in world football: while providing sharp, goal-scoring pace up front, he has also shown a great work rate to make him a continuous threat to opposing defenses.
It didn’t matter whether cutting inside from the left or playing in a central role; it was Son’s ability to score with both feet and his composure before the goal that marked him out as a really important player for Tottenham Hotspur.
In addition to these goals, Son is worth his weight in gold for his creative play and somewhat selfless style of teamwork; he is as effective at set-ups as he is effective at finding the back of the net – and not many forwards can make that same boast.
Son proved himself to be one of the world’s best forwards by his leadership skills as a captain of South Korea’s national team and performing at the right moment in 2024.
9 Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka quickly became one of the happening and agile forwards worldwide. Still, only 23 years young, Saka is slowly turning out to be Arsenal’s and England’s big player.
His technical ability and intelligence combined with the work rate make him a nightmare for the defenders to handle. As such, despite his youthful age, he shows maturity on the pitch, which teams would love to have in a player.
Saka plays his best to wide-left, not from the right side that he often starts, with an excellent ability in both feet, crosses with precision, and cuts inside to shoot with his left foot, so his vision and decision-making improve every year, making him as lethal a playmaker for others as a goal scorer for himself.
It is Saka who has played for Arsenal as they have continued their title aspirations in the Premier League in the 2023/24 season and match-winning feats for England and therefore, Gareth Southgate cannot keep overlooking him.
What sets Saka apart from so many of his contemporaries is how unflappable he is. Whether that is one of those midweek games in the Champions League or some high-stakes international appointment, Saka appears imperturbable.
By minute detail, without much questioning, the future of Saka as one of the world’s greatest attackers begins to shine through. Bukayo Saka is number 9 in our list of top 10 best forwards in the world in 2024.
8 Phil Foden
Phil Foden is probably the most technically gifted, versatile forward in the world, and he confirms his importance to Manchester City and England.
His incredible close control, ability with the ball at his feet, the creativity, made him play almost any position in the attack it as a winger, attacking midfielder, or even sometimes as a false nine.
Under Pep Guardiola, Foden has a few of the footballing skills which makes him one of the most vibrant forwards in the game.
What makes him different from fellow contemporary players is balance and agility that allows him to beat the defender, besides good vision and sharp thinking, making City an important key playmaker connecting midfield to attack through precise passes and excellent movement.
This relatively young age has made him win several Premier League titles besides the UEFA Champions League, playing with most parts of the key matches.
Foden is still a prime example of commendation in scoring goals and earns several assists showing maturity on the pitch during the 2023/24 season. Here is an established one of the leading forwards globally while his ceiling remains far from being tapped.
7 Lionel Messi
At 37 Lionel Messi is, as of 2024 still one of the world’s best forwards. Transferred from a historic career at the heights of European football to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, it has been nothing short of transformational for both his club and the league itself.
He is still advancing in age, but technically brilliant, shows great vision, and controls games better than anyone else. He is still influencing the games to a huge extent with goals, assists, and pure magic moments, although he has adapted himself to play a more central playmaking role in the game.
In his first season in MLS, Messi has turned Inter Miami from struggler to contender. Off and on the field influence has reignited passion within the team, but what’s seen around the world in the term of performances-come in terms of trademark curling free-kicks, accurate passes and unmatched dribbling-prove he is indeed cut above the rest.
On the global stage, Messi conclusively set down his legacy as amongst the greatest players of all time by winning the 2022 World Cup with Argentina. Well, at this late juncture of his career, he still remains that forward who can flip games in a moment and whose performances are always out on top.
6 Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann reaffirms himself for 2024, one of the very influential forwards in world football, technically gifted and smart with an incredible work rate.
He has played mainly in the biggest stages for both Atlético Madrid and the French national team. Truly, his versatility to play in almost any attacking role to say as a second striker, winger, or even an attacking midfielder-makes him indispensable to the team for which he plays.
Creativity and clinical finishing have placed him in a privileged position at the top of the game for years.
He has been the source of great goals and assists from Atlético Madrid’s attack in the 2023/24 season. His off-ball movement and vision open up space for his teammates while keeping himself as a constant threat to score.
Besides the technical gift, Griezmann is an industrious forward who drops deep to help with defense and spark counterattacks.
Griezmann’s heroics for France in Europe have shown to what level he can rise when it matters, from helping the team win the World Cup in 2018 to almost doing the same in 2022. Club or country, Griezmann is one of the world’s best all-around forwards today.
5 Mohamed Salah
Mohammed Salah currently stands well and strongly as one of the best centers in world football, 2024, a key player in Liverpool, and an international symbol of the sport.
However, he is well known around the football world for his lightning-fast pace incredible dribbling, and finishing that makes him always a threat to defenders, although now in his early 30s. Inside the trademark cutting from the right wing with his left foot, he is one of the biggest fears of an attack in the game.
Salah is still scoring winning goals for Liverpool: there are also some well-timed assists as the team fights for positions at the summit in the Premier League and European competition in the new 2023/24 season.
He is accurate in netting over 20 goals for each of his last six seasons true reflection of his caliber and fitness. The work rate, coupled with technical ability, makes the Egyptian as handy with his counterattacking scenarios as he is with possession-based systems, which makes him a most versatile player.
Off the field, though, Salah’s influence as a global football icon around the world but most importantly back at home in Egypt has risen. He inspires millions while remaining at the pinnacle of the finest forwards in the game with incredible performance and by setting an example from the front.
4 Vinicius Junior
As fast as one of the most interesting centre forwards in the game in 2024, VinÃcius Júnior can be celebrated at left wing for Real Madrid as the first attacking threat.
The Brazilian winger can be noted on speedy runs and cool delivers when pasting opponents with ease. Quick feet and flair make him a constant danger on the left wing since he is quite prone to cutting inside for the goal or delivering the crosses.
VinÃcius, for the past seasons, has been coming into maturity as a more holistic player, the depth to the decision-making and the finish, thus a reliable goal source for Madrid.
For the 2023/24 season, VinÃcius is a game-changer: match after match-changing performance that makes him one of the toughest customers in the world game to try and defend.
His acceleration and creativity unlock defensive horde pack tightness, an extraordinary challenge for defenders to live with him. In past seasons, Benzema’s partnerships made him like another man, but he’s rising now as he becomes a leader on the attack.
More than this, however, VinÃcius has become a regular in Brazil and shines bright in the international game. With a bit of flair and assurance that would remind people about legendary Brazilian forwards in the future, his maturity is sure going to dominate world football in the next years.
3 Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland certainly looks to be one of the most dominant and prolific forwards in the world following his storm on the football world throughout 2024.
His combination of incredibly impressive physicality, lightning-quick pace, and lethal finishing makes him a nightmare for defenders. It may come from anywhere: for example, from the most impudent shot or with the timing of the headers, or from the clinical finish.
He is big and strong and, therefore, uses his body strength to achieve triumph in duels. His sharp movement and speeding make him dangerous for every defense.
Since joining Manchester City, tales of goal-scoring coming from him have been out-of-this-world things. This Norwegian is not letting up, with the breaking and setting of new records in this 2023/24 season with an incredible 36 goals for the season in the 2022/23 season.
Generally, Haaland’s ability to still deliver magic touches amid critical and high-stakes matches in any Premiership, Champions League, or international competition makes him one of the best pure strikers in the game.
Like a complete contradiction of the lumpy features, Haaland is surprisingly agile and acutely tactically aware, thus making him much more than just a classic target man.
His dynamism on the attack coupled with natural ability makes sure Haaland will be one of the best forwards in the game for many years.
2 Harry Kane
Harry Kane confirms one’s thesis as one of the world’s best finishers with this stage 2024. Recognized finish ability, smart moving, and playmaking make it impossible to tag Kane as just a traditional number nine alone.
His vision and range in passing are something two threats who score from within the box while dropping deep enough to create an opening for his teammates.Â
One of the most complete strikers in modern football, he has carved out a niche through consistency at club and international levels as England’s current captain and record goal-scorer.
In 2023, Kane moved, in the biggest step of his life, from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich, ending an iconic career. So far, he has done well in the Bundesliga and has been scoring and assisting a run of goals for the German side, turning out to be a huge addition to their attack.
How he has adapted to new environments and still scores at will is a reflection of footballing intelligence and skill. Of course, qualities of Kane’s leadership on and off the pitch are fantastic.
He is always the central striker for Bayern and England. Moreover, he has a lot of experience, composure, and a winning mentality. The all-around game and deadly finishing of Kane make him one of the best forwards in world football, when he proves his class in every competition.
1 Kylian Mbappe
By 2024, world football will most widely have established Kylian Mbappé as one of the most exciting attackers around. He has blistering pace, incredible dribbling, and clinical finishing dominating defenses and thrilling fans everywhere.
He makes him perhaps the most feared attacker in the world by beating defenders almost as easily as a butter knife going through buttermilk and creating or scoring goals from nearly any position on the field.
At the age of 25, his goal-scoring record is already impressive, but his desire for success simply keeps pushing him to newer height after newer height. His leadership role within PSG has increased manifold, and he has become a talisman for both club and country.
He stands out as the biggest figure for France as an international icon after their conquest over them to win the 2018 World Cup, narrowly missing another in 2022.
The speed, intelligence, and ability to be there when it matters all come together to show why Mbappé stands out among the best forward coming into 2024 and over the dominance of football in the world for a long time.
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