7 Greatest Centre-Forwards Since 2000

[@hoppywern9057]

And number 1 is Jaden philogene who whilst not being a striker or having played many games. May already be the best hull city player of all time. If not greatest player of all time and deserves to be top of this list

[@andrwgoonr]

😂😂

[@andrwgoonr]

This community is awesome

[@andrewharrison7912]

😂😂😂

[@KB-lx7rf]

As a villa fan, I couldn't believe we sold him, and for so little as well 😢

[@heturnal]

😂😂😂love hull

[@janembabel]

Since 2000 atlético Madrid fowards: Torres, Agüero, Forlan, Falcao, Costa, Mandzukic, Griezmann, Suarez.

[@jamesfilosa6277]

Versus Barcelona: Eto'o, Henry, Zlatan, Villa, Suarez, (Griezmann), (Aguero), Lewandowski.

[@filler6749]

People who blame atleti for Felix being shit always makes me laugh.

[@TwoFootball1998]

Nothing compared to Inter: Ronaldo, Batistuta, Zamorano, Vieri, Crespo, Adriano, Ibrahimović, Eto‘o, Milito, Forlán, Lautaro etc. (Players like Icardi or Lukaku aren‘t even considered.)

[@joost6994]

​@@TwoFootball1998Icardi and Lukaku aren't considered because they aren't popular with the Inter fan base. Fact is they both deserve to be there. Forlan, Batistuta and Crespo were good strikers but incredibly underwhelming at Inter. Their primes were at other clubs.

[@TwoFootball1998]

@@joost6994 Crespo spent the majority of his career at Inter. I agree with you about Forlan and Batistuta, but the comment above also categorises Mandzukic as an Atletico striker for example, even though he only played a single season in Madrid.

[@christopherreynolds9254]

When you look back, Zlatan played at a consistently high level for an incredible length of time. His consistency and longevity is amazing. And he had that bit of charisma and stardust required to perform in high pressure moments

[@jamesfilosa6277]

I agree with you! I think the main thing against Zlatan is his relatively poor goal/game ratio, and zero titles, in the Champions League. :(

[@maxerpro792]

@@jamesfilosa6277 I mean, 77 g/a in 128 matches is far from poor, and he has a better g/a and per minute average than Benzema if you're looking on all competitions.

[@sub_n33urath122]

There won't be another Zlatan like there won't be another messi or Ronaldo.... maybe a better player than Zlatan but never a better character than Zlatan

[@maxerpro792]

@@sub_n33urath122 Don't think we'll see another player like him either. 6'5 giant that dribbles like he's 5'6, good at it all will be pretty hard to find

[@sub_n33urath122]

@@maxerpro792 that's why I am giving a benifit of doudt..... Someone maybe can but there won't be any other character

[@The_Black_Dot]

What made teen Rooney SO good is that he achieved so much, won so many trophies, played at the top for over 12 years in a generation filled with absolute superstars, and STILL people say that he could have been so much more. Certified legend who isn't appreciated nearly enough

[@clarenceonyekwere5428]

Ronaldo and Messi made this the tale of many players in their era. Almost happened with Benzema

[@nashanestewart5830]

Seven best manager now pls

[@matthewlewis2072]

Isn't as good as Kane and never did it in the big games. Never improved beyond 2004.

[@Billiamwoods]

​@@matthewlewis2072"Isn't as good as Kane and never did it in the big games" as opposed to Harry Kane, a player known for turning up and winning his team trophies through sheer determination. Oh, wait.

[@usxnews1834]

​@@matthewlewis2072 I'm a huge Rooney fan but even I admit he didn't quite reach his potential (although that's a different debate). That said, he is either placed first or second in terms of most EPL goals against Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, West Ham, and Fulham, scored winning goals in the League Cup final twice, ruined AC Milan in the Champions League (twice!) with 6 goals and 1 assist in 6 games, was the only Utd player who played well against Barcelona in the 2011 CL final, scored back-to-back hattricks against Arsenal and Bolton, scored THAT winning goal against City... like, we can say he was only a top 10-player in the world at his peak, when he should've probably become a top 2-3 player from his potential, but it's inarguable that he was a big game player who turned it on against rivals and in meaningful matches.

[@Powerhouse08]

Now make a top 7 most versatile players of the 21st century

[@kieronparr3403]

He did utility men

[@Powerhouse08]

@@kieronparr3403 thanks mate I just found that video

[@kieronparr3403]

@@Powerhouse08 good man

[@vitorsilva7783]

Where​@@kieronparr3403

[@gm2407]

Honourable mention John O'Shea.

[@nickdrakeford1409]

Some could argue that Lewsendowski never had a season like Suarez's season for Liverpool...except when Lewendowski broke the Bundesliga record and won the Champions League...

[@listey]

Imagine how many Suarez would have scored in that Bayern team. Imagine if he had also been taking penalties.

[@HITCSevens]

Lewandowski as the number nine in a super team vs Suarez in a team that finished 6th the following season without him. That was the point that I was making about Lewa & Ibrahimović never having a season like that - not that they never had amazing seasons themselves.

[@ScheppundFries]

@@HITCSevens ibrahimovic 2011/12 did a similar carry job for Milan. Suarez at least had Sturridge.

[@narrow3601]

@@HITCSevens this right here man, you got it absolutely right. People need to be able to differentiate an amazing individual season eye-test wise vs an actual carry job.

[@torbenbehmer8481]

To be fair, when Lewandowski left for Barcelona, and Bayern thought maybe Sadio Mane or Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting could replace him... they still won the title, but Mane barely made it into the team, and Choupo Moting, though serviceable, didn't come anywhere near scoring 40 goals that season. So yes, Lewandowski was a significant part of what made that team so incredibly good.@@HITCSevens

[@olusojisylvestertomilola6445]

I should mention.. of the 7 strikers, only 2 never played for Barça

[@HITCSevens]

That's pretty wild! Great observation.

[@davidegri2790]

Aguero played 5 games😂😂

[@ayanda6208]

​@davidegri2790 He still played for Barca and scored in the El Classico so that's enough

[@TheNVLS]

@@davidegri2790I am happy to see that you are able to understand that he played for Barça

[@fathialjack2009]

That's why barca is the most successful team since 2000

[@mrfoofoo69]

Never forget how Eto'o famously played a season at LW for Inter, saying that the only manager he would ever not play at CF for was Jose

[@nathanbrown4470]

So glad to hear, "and Jamie Vardy." The most underrated on there, I thought of him minutes earlier but might just have missed out on the shortlist.

[@kageryu311]

Eto'o is massively underrated.

[@willardmatsaudza3101]

I’d put eto ahead of Rooney as a centre forward.

[@justtop5400]

I’ve always pushed the Samuel Eto’o agenda but it’s because both his resume and skill are undeniable Back to back trebles with 2 diff teams Scored in 2 cl finals 3 UCL 3 la liga 2 Italian and 2 Spanish cups Italian super cup winner Intercontinental cup winner 2 copa cataluyna 1 pichichi Italy cup golden boot Club world cup winner 4 African footballer of the year w 3 diff teams Has 2 afcon titles and golden boots Olympic gold medal All time afcon goal scorer All time Mallorca scorer despite playing only a few years there Yeah he played for pep, mourinho and in a Cameroon golden generation but his player profile is just too unreal. He could dribble and retain the ball while playing with flair He could drop deep and help with link up play He could defend He was the complete package in every way, both physically and in his game He could shoot from distance He could score off the volley better than almost anyone like Suarez He was tall fast and strong He was lethal inside the box and athletic and acrobatic and could score with any part of his body balls just bounced off of him into the goal. He could give one touch taco, through and long passes. He had great timing and chemistry with his teams. He could even drift wide and cross it in, he could dribble the defenders to get inside the box. He could play deep and help dictate the pace with the midfield and give a key pass then run behind the defense for a 1 on 1 situation with keeper where he always finished with class. To me he’s for sure at least top 5 but you could honestly argue top 2

[@willardmatsaudza3101]

@@justtop5400 100% agree

[@shiki325]

He's massive PoS off the pitch though probably why a lot of people don't like him

[@willardmatsaudza3101]

@@shiki325 what has he done off the pitch to be a pos ??

[@alfonsotianzon5475]

The sheer amount of legends to not even make the 2nd shortlist proves how peak football truly was in the 2000s and 2010s

[@Blarglord]

Loved this series. Your choices are always relatively levelheaded and facts based. Keep it up mate

[@KyleB978-0]

Had to check Luis was number 1 before I could watch. It is objectively the correct answer and I’m now looking forward to watching the entire video as you clearly have ‘ball knowledge’ as the younger generation would say. Thanks for the content sir.

[@Boredoutofmywits]

The craziest thing about Luis Suarez is that he's not even the best Luis Suarez in football history...

[@Electricc__]

Yeah, there is no way Eto'o doesn't make it into this list. I agree mostly with the list, but not having Eto'o in the seven is crazy in my opinion

[@Al-ji4gd]

Totally agree. Eto'o is far, far ahead of Rooney or Aguero.

[@raenico5285]

Suarez at his peak was the best but if I was to sign any off the top 3 as a 22 year old to have the rest of their career at my club, I'm signing Lewa. His consistency was unparalleled

[@alvarorey9308]

This shows more than anything how we've been blessed with a bunch of talented strikers for this generation.

[@Ugaine-Mor]

"Even half decent with his hands". Brilliant.

[@jord.an6123]

Loved the a-league photo

[@mitchell4680]

When I saw the title I started thinking about all the players I thought would feature in the 7 and I realised I'd ended up naming 16 players. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been to rank the 7

[@RyuzakiTaiyou]

Best German players in the premier league of all time. (Day 601) I will not give up until the video is made or Alfie himself tells me to stop. Everyone else telling me that will be ignored. If you don't believe my number, just go back to the previous videos. I'm at the bottom most of the time, but I'm there.

[@aniekanabasiumoh170]

😂

[@waffle.supply]

We’ve been trying to get a best XI players who were bald by choice. Stay strong brother 🤜

[@jannikbrautigam6479]

Just looked it up, there were 80 Germans in EPL, which is a lot more than I thought. My seven would be: 7. Groß 6. Lehmann 5. Ballack 4. Klinsmann 3. Huth 2. Özil 1. Gündogan

[@needfoolthings]

​@@jannikbrautigam6479Oh dude... you miseed Uwe Rösler.

[@jannikbrautigam6479]

@@needfoolthings yeah, I think Steffen Freund is a big one too

[@CastriesFootballCouncil]

Fantastic video, the sheer number of goal scorers who did not make this list is mind blowing. For me Pippo makes any list everyday all day.

[@gamewondertv7934]

"oh but he was just an unskilled lucky tap-in merchant" people who say that never saw how well he ran those routes and made space for himself

[@Boredoutofmywits]

This is an English centric channer. Deal with it.

[@bengan2588]

As a MU fan I think it is some English biest for Rooney and I think benz deserves that spot more. Benz was nominated 12 times for the ballondor and meny of them not purely on numbers but also his around play. He also got more individual awards like laliga , ligue 1 , champions league player of the year

[@pringleton]

Also a Man Utd fan and agree I think Rooney is usually underrated but don't see on what metric he beats Benzema? More likely to get a red, Benzema got the Ballon d'or and multiple CL trophies and would have made the French WC winning side if eligible. Can see how many of these are personal preference and the margins at this level so tiny but definitely think Karim underrated here

[@princemarwin5182]

​@@pringleton on the contrary I think Benzema is the better striker but surely rooney is the better player all round. Rooneys best season would also have gotten him a ballon dor if it was 2021 and not the 2010-2012. Wayne Rooney ended his career at cdm hence I say probably not a better striker than benzema but surely the all round better player

[@pringleton]

@@princemarwin5182 I can appreciate that but this is specifically about the best CF so performances at CM wouldn't count, also I don't think you could categorically say Rooneys season would have won the Ballon D'Or in 2021 as Bemzema was superb himself. All opinions of course but I also think that Benzemas ability to spearhead a big team and drive them to glory once CR7 left also is above where Rooney was when the same thing happened and given the relative ages and Benzemas far greater longevity too I just don't agree

[@narrow3601]

@@pringleton I mean Rooney too proved he could take the reigns once CR7 left and dragged a Man U team that was on its last legs, whose only form of help being the genius of Sir Alex Ferguson, to a CL Final where let's face it no one was ever beating THAT Barcelona in a one game winner take all match but the fact that he nearly got them close scoring an equalizer for them right before Barca ran riot is pretty insane if I do say so myself

[@pauliyonas3576]

rooney best season will not gat him a Ballon d'or in any era​@@princemarwin5182

[@lucaslonchampt613]

Day 13 of asking a "What Went Right for Stade Brestois?" Video This is currently, by far, the best season in club history, one which could result in their first ever qualification for Europe in over 70 years of existence. There's a fascinating story to tell, from going bankrupt and slowly climbing back, to various great names that played there such as Ribéry, Makélélé or José Luis Brown, to the story of the Brest president going up against the Colombian drug cartel. Plus, you can have a lot of Brest related puns. Also, the best center forward since 2000 is me. I have been killing it in my local county's 3rd division's B-team

[@AdityaVishweshwaran]

i think if lewandowski won the ballon'dor in 2020, or even 2021 (which i think he should have), he would easily be considered the best striker this century.

[@Wallblue21]

everyone knows messi robbed 2021

[@tanzeemshahriar9162]

No way century? R9 is far more complete. Better dribbling,pace, shooting, passing Ronaldo is just simply the best.

[@xch1llx]

@@tanzeemshahriar9162 You realize r9 had his peak in the last century right? In barca and inter pre 2000. After 2000 r9 already had 23454654 injuries and did manage maybe 2-3 okish seasons until he retired. Also "far more complete" how? R9 was one of the best players in his peak no doubt but Lewandowski is a FAR MORE COMPLETE striker. Dude is putting in 40+ goals a season for 10years+ now. Dude is 35 and playing as the main striker for barca in the shape of his life, basically never injured and just a machine. Remember r9 with 35, already retired and looking like a little german with a beer belly... far more complete yeah...

[@firstlane7695]

​@@Wallblue212020 is when he deserved ,2021 it was a close call

[@narrow3601]

Everyone already basically gave Lewy his Ballon 'Dor in 2020 even if it's not official. I mean every time someone talks about him they always mention something along the lines of "if not for covid he would have won his deserving Ballon' Dor in 2020"

[@K_masters]

Woof this is a huge W my brother. THAT liverpool suarez season was a joy to watch. I always love to tip my cap to greatness and suarez was great for the prem.

[@maxmelser35]

Good to see Suarez getting the respect he deserves. Arguably the biggest difference between Suarez and the rest is that Suarez could easily play in any attacking position, he was an amazing assister as well. So you get the goal scoring level close to that of Zlatan and Lewa but the added assist / playmaking prowess where he was clearly better. Watching him play he never really felt selfish, always choosing the right option of shooting or passing

[@jakearrow8047]

Sounds like benzema but obviously more clinical

[@duyanhng8430]

​@@jakearrow8047for a while people heavily criticised Benz for his finishing, which could never been said by anyone about suarez

[@ScheppundFries]

Zlatan was definitly as good a playmaker as Suarez.

[@jakearrow8047]

@@duyanhng8430 yeah that's my point Suarez is better in that regard everything the person said above about suarez sounded like benzema to me but with better finishing

[@Boredoutofmywits]

The craziest thing about Luis Suarez is that he's not even the best Luis Suarez in football history...

[@Alfie_1]

Only related to the introduction, but there is something brilliant about watching the finishes and first touch of Ronaldo when playing for Corinthians, as his pace had almost entirely deserted him, it just allowed him to demonstrate his pure ability.

[@joethompson8100]

commented a few weeks back saying "bring back should you wish to do so" and its back. nice one

[@jasabdu-rh4jf]

Lewandowski number 1 Most goals Treble winner Two European golden shoes Two fifa best and two Gerd. Muller awards Uefa men's player of the year Ucl forward of the season 40 plus goals since 15/16

[@french_toast223]

Agüero being here is a highway robbery against the players that apparently didn't even make your last 14

[@mayujamir6027]

Why?

[@silvesta5027]

Alfie knew! 😭 22:55

[@aze4964]

Not really like who?

[@Anarchouettisme]

We need a 1950-1999 version of these videos. Huge task for sure.

[@cuginoeddie8677]

Del Piero should have made this list. Half of his 11 seasons post 2000 were when Serie A was still the top league in the world and nobody of this top 7 list comes anywhere close to his free kick ability

[@ScheppundFries]

have to disagree. Del Piero was never the same after his knee injury in 1998. He was way better in the 90s.

[@cuginoeddie8677]

@@ScheppundFries he lead Serie A in goals in one of his final years.

[@ScheppundFries]

@@cuginoeddie8677 yeah, he was obviously still class, but just a step below his 90s performances and the players on this list.

[@wapjs6781]

Del Piero has never been a centreforward

[@jackpink4565]

Absolutely love your opinions whether I agree or not, humorous and calculated. Keep cracking on lad. Not that you need me to tell you that ahah.

[@boogy1033]

How can u put Rooney & Zlatan ahead of Benzema ? Second greteast scorer in Real Madrid history, 4th all time scorer in UCL history, leading in assists in Real Marid history, 5 UCL, 3 La LIgas, 4 Ligue 1 titles, 1 Uefa nations league with France & 1 Ballon d'or. The bias for english players it's insane

[@michaeldjango]

C'mon read the stats bro

[@bigmitchtv3922]

@@michaeldjango There is no stat on this earth where Rooney is above Benzema

[@IAMMARTICUS1470]

Famously English Zlatan Ibrahimovich

[@timothydamoulis2574]

Recency bias , Benzema had about 2 top seasons in his 30s then went to Saudi. When Benzema was younger he only scored about 12 league goals a season and regularly missed sitters and there was a stage where Real Madrid fans wanted him out. He was only top level clinical for his last few years in Europe before declining.​@@bigmitchtv3922

[@timothydamoulis2574]

Look at his average league goals per season whilst at Real Madrid. .. He was only top level for like 3 years and waa not a great finisher. He played like a better Roberto Firmino.

[@pavogamez7795]

Thank you for putting so much thought on my favortie player zlatan he deserves better praise all around because his game was brilliant

[@Salacious-Crumb]

"His teeth are offside , Luiz suarez his teeth are offside"

[@maazshaikh9688]

In the lengthy list that was mentioned initially, the likes of Anelka, Llorente, Joaquin, Aduriz, Adebayor, Tevez, Firmino, Immobile, Quagliarela, Vucinic, Samaras, Roque Santa Cruz, Berbatov, Koller, Klose and Edinson Cavani all deserve a shout.

[@CarlosDang3r]

On no planet was Rooney better a CF than Shevchenko

[@ultrainstinctshaggy669]

Up next, 7 times Messi and Ronaldo shouldn't have gotten a Ballon D'Or

[@JD-hx7yd]

Only 2023 is arguable really. 2014 Suarez and 2021 Lewandowski aren't close enough. I think the argument about Sneijder 2010 and Ribery 2013 is forced, Messi was better in 2010 and should have won in 2013 too.

[@Niimerium]

​@JD-hx7yd 2010, it was Iniesta. Xavi or Sniejder. Arguably those 2 barca midfield maestros above sniejder and messi too. 2013? lmao dont make me laugh saying messi. should've been robben on achievements and stats too imho but cris got it and messi finished 2nd. 2020 lewa, 2021 also tbh lewa and 2023 halaand.

[@JD-hx7yd]

@Niimerium Fair enough. Clearly we have different metrics in determining the best player in the world and that's just life. I think our disagreement exemplifies why individual awards, especially in a team sport, can be goofy. I'm personally never gonna judge a player by Ballon dors, fifa the best, uefa best or the micky mouse trophy that is the globe soccer awards again.

[@Niimerium]

@@JD-hx7yd I wont with individual awards too that seems to be so pr heavy as well

[@JD-hx7yd]

@Niimerium yeah man complete joke. The Globe soccer awards is the worst. Cringefest.

[@cellyszn20]

I was thinking Alfie was going to put Emile Heskey in top spot

[@needfoolthings]

His prime was phenomenal, but too short. When he scored that goal of his career.

[@cellyszn20]

@@needfoolthings I keep saying if he was playing today, the dude will be playing for Arsenal. Arteta would love someone like him up front

[@needfoolthings]

@@cellyszn20 Yeah, it's either Gabriel Jesus or Emile Heskey.

[@AblemanSy]

I would love a video series of the same format about players between 1995 and 2005 so you can give all the players that you had to snub here the respect they deserve. Personally I would have put Klose on the list! Highly underrated!

[@swavyquain]

excellent videos, always.. top notch

[@watt_the_border_collie]

Man Benzema is really underrated. 5 CL is no joke.

[@seandelap8587]

Klose was better at international level as i recall most of his memorable moments was for the German national team i never remember hearing that much about him at club level

[@Jonathanizer]

Klose in club level never put up the numbers, that others in the list did. He was a very selfless striker, and also did not take penalties (except once i think, which he converted). Even though he was a center forward, he would often switch with his strike partners and even midfielders during the game. He was brilliant in the Germany squad, and had he played and scored every club match like it was a World Cup game, he would not only be in this top 7, he would be on top.

[@ScheppundFries]

he had one insane season in 2005/06, with something like 40 goal contributions in 26 games or so for Werder Bremen

[@drs-xj3pb]

I remember Klose starting ahead of Mario Gomez for Germany, while Gomez was preferred at Bayern.

[@zacharywilliams2030]

Eto not being in at least the top 5 is a HOWLER

[@876jamaicanyouth]

How does Rooney get a higher rating than Aguero when Kun was already a world talent at 16 going 17 how can Rooney be even ahead of Benzema to speak of burn out what a lame excuse

[@Boredoutofmywits]

This is an English centric channerl. Deal with it.

[@TwoFootball1998]

I really think it‘s unfair that Gonzalo Higuaín isn‘t even mentioned meanwhile Agüero is making the list. Just a quick reminder: During their prime years, Higuaín used to be Argentina‘s starting striker - Agüero was «only» their second option. Even after his misses in the 2014 World Cup Final, Higuaín didn‘t lose his spot in the team.

[@komodododo7961]

This! It's just PL bias but also at Real Madrid, Higuain used to be ahead of Benzema

[@TwoFootball1998]

@@komodododo7961 Being underrated in football has become a much overused attribute in recent years. However, the words «underrated» or «not properly rated» really describe Higuaín the best. This is a guy who scored 36 goals (!!!) in a single Serie A-season for example. This is a guy who once benched both Benzema and Agüero (both of them make this list). This is a guy who was a starter at Real Madrid, Juventus and the Argentinian national team.

[@Hephesus]

To be fair Aguero was injured during a lot of the tournaments.

[@Dkmo94]

​@@komodododo7961 but they sold higuain. Pipita played more but Benz was better (& clutch)

[@LKeet6]

he stated his criteria. longevity and goals in this century. ageuro is better.

[@antlereddruid8359]

I am a bit baffled how Klose could not feature in your top 14. It would have been a stretch to see him at seventh but still he was permanently undervalued and underrated and the best german striker since Gerd Müller

[@karabomafa5609]

According to the parameters: 1) Zlatan 2)Suarez 3)Lewandowski 4)Benzema 5)Rooney My favorite player: Thierry Henry

[@michaeldjango]

This one makes sense

[@MrJeffHead]

Rooney by far the best footballer in his prime out of those 5 but that's all round opposed to pure centre forward.

[@princemarwin5182]

​@@MrJeffHeadthat's mainly because rooney played like 2 seasons as the striker, dude finished his career at cdm. Easily the best all round footballer in that list. Can only imagine how good would he have been if he stuck to being a striker his entire career

[@karabomafa5609]

@@MrJeffHead not the best footballer but the most well rounded... Benzema, Zlatan and Suarez could dribble rings around Rooney and were more prone to creating magic than Rooney... Rooney though was the better playmaker

[@MrJeffHead]

@@karabomafa5609 Rooney could drive straight through any of them with his powerful runs too. He could also create magic out of nothing whether that be his goal scoring or assisting or creating the magic to make room for the goal / assist. He'd have been better than them at no10 no8 no6 full back, centre back etc. More hard working, aggresive, all round play etc. That made him a better footballer, if not the better striker.

[@Maddi5445]

Personally i think benzema is in the top 15 of all time

[@ojasvah3630]

Love your video , especially you featured zlatan....

[@ELPocho_JJ]

Real ones remember the Agüero and Forlán strike partnership at Atlético

[@lukewarila1617]

Antoine Griezmann at least deserved to be in the honorable mentions of this list. People don't rate him because he never put up insane numbers nor won much, but everything he does is elite, so much so that he's been given freedom to roam wherever he wants both for france and for atletico. Griezmann is the only Striker I know who drops back to receive the ball from the defense in order to control the tempo of the game or to orchestrate an attack.

[@huguesjouffrai9618]

Is he a number 9 though ? Otherwise he would deserve a spot

[@MichaelCooney-zh8je]

8th time of asking. 7 teams most likely to qualify for their first WC in 2026

[@AndresMagnone]

Cavani should have been in the long list, at least. 7th most prolific goalscorer of the century.

[@Boredoutofmywits]

Spending your prime in the Farmer's League doesn't help.

[@Topav05]

I'm a United fan, but there's no argument about who the biggest club in world football is. Real Madrid are kilometres ahead

[@jannikbrautigam6479]

Lewandowski scored 41 in 29 League games in 2021, outscoring G.Müller´s all-time record of 40 goals in a Bundesliga season, that seemed uncrushable only two years prior. 8 of those 41 were penalties, so he outdid suarez in his last liverpool season just by the numbers. To be fair, Bayern was the most dominant team in Germany in his entire time in the club by a landslide. But he was the biggest factor for this. If he keeps his form at least around 20ish goals a season for just one or two years, there is no doubt for me, that he is the greatest centre-forward post 2000 by every mean. Just to put in perspective. Mbappe and Haaland need 30+ goals per season for 10 and 12 years, to reach lewandowski numbers, if he stops scoring tomorrow

[@hitthurdeaux]

I disagree with your assessment. Lewa was not the biggest factor for Bayern’s super team or its dominance. Bayern had already cantered to 2 Bundesliga’s when Lewa came in. Lewandowski made the goal scoring process more streamlined yes absolutely, and his consistency in scoring is to be admired forever, but that core of Bayern’s super team was already established, already firing on all cylinders, and already dominant. Also, while Lewandowski’s 41 goals/ 33 non-penalty goals were extremely impressive, the important context was that his supporting cast was much better than Suarez’s in 2013-14 and even Muller’s in 1971-72, while the quality of his opposition was worse (ie, there was no team even remotely as good as Bayern in 2020-21 nevermind better, while Suarez’s Liverpool was fighting City, Arsenal, United, and Chelsea, and Muller’s Bayern faced off against Netzer’s Monchengladbach, Overath’s Koln, and Libuda and Fischer’s Schalke).

[@joshuaguevara6775]

Kane is matching Lewas output that season , almost every striker in the top 7 list would do the same for Bayern

[@GreyDaze2201]

​@hitthurdeaux look at bayern this season even with kane putting great numbers, they look so bad. Lewa did indeed make bayern that European powerhouse

[@joshuaguevara6775]

@@GreyDaze2201 different teams . Different managers Ignoring prime muller in your assessment

[@blackhandofset]

I LOVE that Vardy was mentioned

[@mvaloppies]

That Liverpool team had no business being in a title race. He really put the team on his back

[@RichardMorrisonBaritone]

Excellent, thank you!

[@StrikingAlexa]

Klose not making the top 14 is criminal

[@cellyszn20]

You do know why right???

[@areebsiddiqui758]

​@@cellyszn20He was never that prolific at club level.

[@enciam3680]

Top of my head before seeing the video: 1. Henry 2. Lewa 3. Rooney 4. Suarez 5. Zlatan 6. Kane 7. Benzema

[@michaeldjango]

😅Rooney over Lewandoski and Zlatan

[@enciam3680]

@michaeldjango Lewa over Rooney, but Rooney over Zlatan. It's personal preference of course, but Rooney was an absolute monster. The central figure for one of the best two club sides in world football for the best part of a decade. I love Zlatan too, but he's not been as central a part for as competitive a side for as long, imo. The only argument for Zlatan is that he still looked great until his late 30s, whereas Rooney declined quick.

[@michaeldjango]

Dude Ibrahimovic ran Inter Millan, AC Millan and PSG@@enciam3680

[@Boredoutofmywits]

Henry fanboys ignore tha fact that The Premier only began to be more than the third league in Europe after the first half of the Ougthies. Henry was a FITE, like Bergkamp.

[@DrewsSpace]

Great video as per usual, such a difficult list for obvious reasons and I know you shouted out my hero Vardy, but it is worth noting a key difference to the rest of the other players, Vardy did the following achievement in a Leicester City team - that at the time of signing him hadn't played in the premier league in a decade and had sooner been in league 1 than the premier league. Before people start crying, this is just my opinion. Premier League Fa Cup Community shield Championship (plus another one loading) World record for most consecutive prem goals Hatrick in the highest scoring prem game 9-0 (against southhampton) Golden Boot Winner (2019) Oldest player to reach 100 Premier League goals Only player to play in every fa cup round (and win it) 8th Ballon Dor (Robbed of a nomination in 2019) PFA Team of the year x 2 Player of the month x 4 (would have been more if he played for big 6) FWA Footballer of the year Tops most stats for Leicester (modern era) All whilst having 3 of the 9 seasons fighting to stay up, I have no doubt in my mind that prime Vardy - 2015-2020 walks into any team in the world.

[@MoneyManBluZero]

Ain’t no way Rooney a better player than Benzema

[@paulvinten7672]

Love the shout out to The Hardest Geezer!!!!

[@5thdawg917]

I actually agree with this top 7, given the criteria, fair play. Suarez would be my number 1, always has been since his Liverpool days. I say this as a Chelsea fan since September 11 2003.

[@needfoolthings]

Was that the day you bought the club?

[@colinpurchase3955]

How about doing a video on 'old fashioned' centre forwards? You could even rank them by how 'old fashioned' they are / were and not necessarily on abilty nor achievements. I think it would be really interesting. Discuss the attributes of what makes someone 'old fashioned'... strength, arial ability, lack of a decent touch etc. The list is endlesss... Tom Eaves, Brett Angel, Jan Koller, Lee Chapman, Josh Coburn, Mickey Quinn, Alan Smith, Steve Bull, Artem Dzuba etc. etc. etc. Would be wonderful

[@saiyerugara9038]

Top work! The celebrations when I heard Lewandowski #2 lol. Can you do a manager 7 for this century potentially?

[@gurururuwarararara8164]

Great video, and great series, Alfie ❤ Would you consider doing the entire series in reverse? Try and find the 7 worst players in each position to play consistently at a top level Meaning no players like Bebe 😂😂

[@ScheppundFries]

I don't understand your point of putting Thierry Henry in 4th because of his 90s career or excluding Shevchenko. Sheva won the Ballon D'Or in this century, and if you include Henry's 90s career, he would still be just fourth. What he did in the 90s is maybe one percent of his career achievements. He needs to be at least top two for his 2000s achievements. STILL, excellent video and thank you very much for this series.

[@davidploner5205]

Just personal opinion, but I think there is a little bit of an England bias with Rooney. Truly a great striker, but I would put Benzema above him and probably even Aguero

[@peruano-quichwa---aymara8611]

I'd vie on these 7: 1. Henry 2. Drogba 3. Ronaldo Nazario (only if he didn't explode too early) 4. Lewandowski 5. Messi 6. Aguero 7. David Villa

[@thedocgonzo88]

What you have to mention with Ronaldo is that he not only had the most serious knee injuries since he was young - but it also turned out later that he has a metabolic disorder! Götze also has a metabolic disorder - people often think that he simply didn't make it to the top. But people often forget that the metabolism is simply the basis of an endurance athlete's performance and a metabolic disorder simply destroys everything.

[@missaelmelchord9966]

I was waiting for the Peter Crouch number one joke again... Nevertheless, great video Alfie!

[@JonasFilberg]

King Henry 👑

[@halftendedifiebf1741]

Mbappe >> Henry tbh

[@stephenkountourou8657]

Shoulda coulda woulda with the Euros Alfie. Even with a fit Wayne Rooney, Greece was destined to win it. 😉

[@kieronparr3403]

Greece were dross though

[@stephenkountourou8657]

@kieronparr3403 still won it though mate 🏆

[@soundscape26]

It was probably the first major competition Alfie watched (and live nonetheless) so it will always have a special place in his heart.

[@stephenkountourou8657]

@soundscape26 Oh of course and everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just find it interesting that England fans havd this perception that they could've/should've won Euro 2004 with the team they had. Despite the fact they couldn't beat France or Portugal, who Greece beat, twice in the case of Portugal. If Greece could beat both those teams, that England couldn't, it stands to reason that Greece would have beaten England too. Again my opinion but just find that whole perception interesting.

[@soundscape26]

@@stephenkountourou8657 Sure, you don't win a major tournament without deserving it. Greece was not inspiring nor did it crush their opponents in style but the fact is that they managed to overcome every team that came their way. I think Alfie's rationale is that 2004 was the peak of England's golden generation and as such it was a huge missed opportunity.

[@johnnythemachine6949]

Klose should be at least an honorable mention. I mean he's the all time leading World Cup goal scorer and the all time leading goal scorer for Germany (all Caps post 2000). At Bayern he was a bit underwhelming and Kaiserslautern, Bremen and Lazio might not be the biggest clubs from an international perspective, but when he wore the black and white, he was unstoppable

[@Al-ji4gd]

Aguero and Rooney should not be ahead of Shevchenko or Eto'o, especially.

[@user-yk9rs6lr5c]

I was kinda mad that Cavani wasn’t going to make the list, but when #7 is Agüero… damn!

[@Boredoutofmywits]

When you play your prime in the Farmers' League, it has consecuences.

[@lewiyonas3255]

Why is etoo not on this list?

[@derickl436]

The only one of these seven I have seen play in the flesh is Thierry Henry, albeit in a friendly for Barcelona. He was the stand out that evening and an absolute machine.

[@TripleR144]

Unpopular opinion of why ibra should have been top 3 but definitely top 7. Ibra was never the best striker in the world at any one period. I also think Kane shouldve been there regardless he's scored more than rooney and aguero i think that alone shows you why he's so highly regarded. (coming from an arsenal fan)

[@rintmacleanen2972]

Video idea: the best player to ever play for each premier league club.

[@fussballfreak4478]

Etoo should be in that top 7!

[@michaeldjango]

Zlatan, Lewandoski, Suarez, harry Kane, Drogba, Samuel Eto, rooney

[@WingWingHerro]

My man Benzema is not there?

[@mike026]

Next- managers

[@bzilla-d4i]

Some teams like Atletico were just blessed with discovering, nurturing and reviving careers of some incredible strikers.

[@hiteshwarmehla2267]

Before watching the video list in no particular order : Aguero, Henry, Klose, Suarez, Lewandowski, Kane, Ibra

[@DidierDrogba1997]

Putting Klose among those players is insane

[@silvesta5027]

What did you make of the list?

[@xch1llx]

@@DidierDrogba1997 Why? He is the topscorer in world cup history and the only one next to Henry on this list who won a world cup. Always performing when it counts, he was also always a role model, a inspiration and a fair sportsmen unlike other racist biters who made this list because the author has a pl and msn fetish.

[@xch1llx]

@@DidierDrogba1997 Why? He is the topscorer in world cup history and the only one on this list next to Henry who won a wold cup. Always performing when it counts. He was also a role model, a inspiration and a fair sportsmen unlike other racist biters who made the list because the author has a strong pl and msn bias.

[@DidierDrogba1997]

@@xch1llx Playing brilliant every 4 year for a summer doesnt make put u on top of this list. His world cup goals is honestly the only argument for him, he was nowhere near world class at club level. Being nice doesnt make u a better striker either, personality is not a factor on how good a striker is. He has am avg. of 6 bundesliga goal in those 4 years he was at bayern, how does that make him world class? How is he "there when it counts" when he only has 9 total champions league career goals?

[@HerbivorousKane]

Honestly cant argue with you here, kane, RVP and vardy would make the last three in a top 10. Whole time i was thinking where's Suarez lol. nah bro ur a true fan of the game! Great vid

[@thomasrisbjergschrder9341]

Video idea: the impact of the expansion of the WC

[@Dkmo94]

Henry deserves to be at least 2nd and im no arsenal fan. I would also argue for Raúl, Eto'o & Totti

[@langletprolet8378]

Big Raul fan. But half of Raul’s best years are pre-2000

[@mousquetaire86]

Totti wasn't really a striker, he was a number 10.

[@natoslayer2907]

​@@mousquetaire86 the 10 is a role, not a position. Totti played half his career in a center forward position as a false 9.

[@charanb5026]

Tell me you're English without telling me you are english

[@Elber_Gudo]

Downplaying TTs France career is crazy he’s number 1

[@SamButler22]

Super Kevin Davies. None of your picks have "Super" in their name

[@RespecTheLevYT]

25:30 Perfectly sums up the genius of Luis Suarez

[@Boredoutofmywits]

The craziest thing about Luis Suarez is that he's not even the best Luis Suarez in football history...

[@christaincarvalho]

The 7 best subs since 2000

[@steven5232]

Billy Sharp not even getting an honourable mention! The quality of some of the players not even making this 7 is outrageous.

[@thelastroninXX]

Not even mentioning Miroslav Klose is wild. But agree with most other opinions in this video.

[@phillipbrevik1209]

mbappe should be in the list