Although it is vital to have a well-balanced squad, strikers are often decisive in securing silverware for their clubs and countries.
Forwards win games with their goals and are often the highest-paid players in a squad, such is the importance of their role.
From towering front men to diminutive pace merchants, there's more than one way to score a goal.
Here we rank the 20 greatest strikers currently playing in world football, including the likes of Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo.
20 - Dominic Solanke
Solanke joined Spurs for £55m last summer from AFC Bournemouth.
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He is a well-rounded striker, but he does not score enough goals to rank higher on the list.
19 - Yoane Wissa
Wissa stepped up brilliantly in the absence of Ivan Toney, scoring 19 open-play goals in the league this year.
He has attracted interest from Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.
18 - Marcus Thuram
The Frenchman has hit double figures in both the Bundesliga and Serie A over the last three years.
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He also featured prominently during Inter Milan's run to the Champions League final last year.
17 - Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is arguably the greatest ever striker but he is now 40 and playing in Saudi Arabia.
He reminded fans of his enduring ability with a goal in the Nations League final for Portugal, but he is far from the player he was.
16 - Hugo Ekitike
Ekitike joined Liverpool for an initial £69m following an impressive campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt.
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After a difficult spell at PSG he impressed in Germany and his playing style has drawn comparisons to Isak.
15 - Benjamin Sesko
The 22-year-old is one of the most highly rated young players in football, with Manchester United and Newcastle both interested.
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He has 27 goals in 64 games for RB Leipzig and at 6ft 5in is one of the tallest centre forwards in Europe.
14 - Serhou Guirassy
The 29-year-old has enjoyed two outstanding seasons in the Bundesliga.
After a 28-goal season for Stuttgart, he joined Borussia Dortmund where he scored 21 goals.
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He was joint top scorer in the Champions League, bagging 13 goals in 14 games.
13 - Kai Havertz
Despite criticism of Havertz, Arsenal badly missed him at the end of last season when he was out injured.
His link-up play is excellent, which is vital for Mikel Arteta's system, even if his finishing can be haphazard.
12 - Ollie Watkins
The Villa frontman has hit double digit hauls in the Premier League for the last five years, attracting interest from Manchester United and
Arsenal.
Under Unai Emery he has become a superb channel runner and a threat in the air.
His last gasp winner in the Euros semi-final will live long in the memory for England fans.
11 - Omar Marmoush
After two impressive seasons at Eintracht Frankfurt, Marmoush earned a £59m move to Manchester City.
He played as a lone striker in Erling Haaland's absence and showed great adaptability in attack.
His spectacular strike against AFC Bournemouth was voted as the Premier League's goal of the season.
10 - Lautaro Martinez
Martinez has been an Argentina and Inter Milan regular since 2018, winning the World Cup and reaching two Champions League finals.
He scored nine goals during Inter's run to the final.
9 - Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal's new striker was sensational for Sporting CP, scoring 97 goals in 102 appearances.
The 27-year-old has been something of a late bloomer, but he is a great athlete, blending pace and power.
Although it remains to be seen how this will translate to the Premier League.
8 - Julian Alvarez
The Argentine left Manchester City for £81.5m to join Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid last summer
He is an intelligent footballer who is capable of operating across the frontline.
City badly suffered from his absence last season.
7 - Victor Osimhen
Osimhen made his name in the 2022-23 season, scoring 26 league goals to propel Napoli to their first title for 33 years.
After a season-long loan at Galatasaray, he is set to join the Turkish permanently.
He is a well-rounded excellent player who ought to be playing for one of Europe's biggest clubs.
6 - Kylian Mbappe
He is a fantastic footballer and his 40 goal haul for Real Madrid in his debut season was another impressive feat from the 26-year-old.
But in today's high-pressing game, Mbappe's lack of defensive work can be a tactical issue, as it was during his time at PSG.
Despite being one of the best paid players in Europe, the Frenchman is yet to win the Champions League.
5 - Ousmane Dembele
Dembele was sensational last season for treble winners PSG and deserves to win this year's Ballon d’Or.
His 35 goal haul was the first team he has consistently showed his world-class ability since his £97m move to Barcelona in 2017.
PSG operated a fluid attack, but Dembele was predominantly deployed as the striker.
4 - Alexander Isak
Isak is one of Europe's most in demand strikers, with Liverpool reportedly preparing a £150m bid for the Swede.
He has hit more than 20 Premier League goals in back to back season, combining height, pace and excellent dribbling.
But persistent injuries remain a concern.
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3 - Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski has been one of the best strikers in the world for 15 years.
Now 36, the Pole won the Bundesliga's golden boot a record seven times, along with 12 league titles and a Champions League.
Since moving to Barcelona in 2022, he has continued his brilliance, scoring 42 goals for the highest scoring team in Europe last year.
2 - Harry Kane
The 32-year-old is both Tottenham and England's all-time top scorer and he remains one of the most complete strikers in the world.
After winning the Bundesliga last year, Kane finally got on his hands on silverware.
Since joining Bayern Munich he has an astonishing 85 goals and 26 assists in 96 games.
1 - Erling Haaland
The Manchester City forward is simply a goal machine. Haaland broke the Premier League's single season scoring record in
his debut campaign as City won the treble.
If he stays at the Etihad until 2034 when his contract expires, then he will most likely break Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League goal record.
Topics: Football, Premier League, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Ousmane Dembele, Kai Havertz, Robert Lewandowski, Julian Alvarez
James Taylor