Despite getting off to a superb start back at Manchester United, and being fresh from a Serie A campaign in which the 36-year-old was the league's top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't been recognised as one of the three best strikers in world football by a new ranking.
FourFourTwo magazine has instead selected the Portuguese superstar as the fifth-best striker in world football currently, with the top spot going to a certified Ballon d'Or contender - and history maker.
For Ronaldo to still be inside the top five in his late 30s is an achievement in itself, but the list of top number nines does reveal a changing of the guard - even if the player at number one is hardly a shock name.
Here then, is FourFourTwo's top 10 list of strikers in world football:
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10. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
9. Edinson Cavani (Manchester United)
8. Ciro Immobile (Lazio)
7. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)
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6. Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
4. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
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3. Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)
2. Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
1. Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Lewandowski's placement at number one should come as little surprise to anybody who has been paying attention to his recent form.
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The Polish striker scored his 54th goal of 2021 against Hoffenheim on Saturday - and what a strike it was too.
Such form now puts him among the leading contenders to win the Ballon d'Or in a month's time - especially as the 33-year-old broke Gerd Muller's almost half-century record of scoring 40 goals in a single Bundesliga campaign.
Coming in at second and third are youngsters Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, two players who are set to define the post-Messi/Ronaldo era of football.
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Whether they can impact the game in quite the same way very much remains to be seen, but with both players being under the age of 23, it's staggering that they're already being ranked ahead of seasoned forwards like Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.
Further down the list we also see Lautaro Martinez sneak into 10th, following a stellar campaign with Serie A title winners Inter Milan.
Meanwhile, Manchester United are represented once again by the inclusion of veteran Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, with Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema, who is also being viewed as a possible 2021 Ballon d'Or contender, only a place higher in eighth.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Manchester United, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo
