Ranking the top striker options for England & the main World Cup favourites | OneFootball

The World Cup is getting ever closer and while it tends to be the defence that wins major tournaments, having someone who can score goals is always handy.

With the final warm-up matches and qualifiers coming to a conclusion, we’ve taken a look at the striking options for the five favourites and ranked them as per goals scored in their respective leagues this season.

Here’s who came out on top:

5. Argentina – 32 goals

Four years on from their success, Argentina have a similar forward line with some minor changes.

Since 2022, Julian Alvarez has developed into one of the best number 9s on the planet but still has only eight goals in his 29 La Liga matches this year.

Lionel Messi is also an option to play centrally and has been doing so increasingly for his club side. Last season he scored 29 MLS goals and has four so far this year.

Inter’s Lautaro Martinez missed this international break due to a calf injury but will be in the squad come the summer having scored 14 goals, making him the top scorer in Serie A.

Jose Lopez of Palmeiras also looks likely to go and has scored three goals in his eight league matches this year.

A final choice would have been the 23-year-old Joaquín Panichelli, who has been touted as the future of the Argentina front line but he suffered an ACL tear and will miss the tournament. In his place could be Giuliano Simeone, who has three Liga goals in 26 matches this campaign.

4. Brazil – 42 goals

While not being at the incredibly high level of the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Brazil’s forward line has improved in recent years.

The thought of a Brentford striker leading the line for Brazil would have been mad back at the start of the century but Igor Thiago’s form this year has been rewarded with a deserved call-up.

Only Erling Haaland has more Premier League goals than Thiago’s 19 this year and with the Norwegian struggling to score of late, there is every chance the Bees forward overtakes him come the end of the season.

Fellow Premier League player Joao Pedro looks to have settled into life at Chelsea with his 14 goals in 31 matches, although it is fair to still suggest he is a somewhat streaky player.

Matheus Cunha can also play centrally and has seven goals in 28 league matches for Manchester United this year.

Teenager Endrick is primarily a winger but can fill in centrally if needed. He has three Ligue 1 goals in nine matches since moving to Lyon on loan from Real Madrid.

And finally, Tottenham’s Richarlison was not in Carlo Ancelotti’s most recent squad but should still make the summer tournament. The Spurs player has nine goals in 26 Premier League games this year.

3. Spain – 43

Considering some of the names they have boasted in the past, it is fair to say Spain do not have a great generation of number 9s.

Even in their Euro 2024 winning campaign, their top scorer was midfielder Dani Olmo on three goals and for this tournament, Luis de la Fuente’s preferred choice is converted winger Mikel Oyarzabal.

This season, the Real Sociedad captain has scored 12 goals in 26 Liga matches for the only side he has ever represented and he netted two in Spain’s recent friendly against Bulgaria.

Behind him, 33-year-old Borja Iglesias earned a call-up for his 11 goals in 26 league matches this year while Barcelona’s Ferran Torres has an identical record to Oyarzabal.

The 22-year-old Victor Munoz is a highly rated youngster but another player who would prefer to be on the wing if given the choice. He has scored just five league goals for Osasuna this season.

The final option is Real Sociedad’s Ander Barrenetxea, who has three goals in 23 league matches but is again more suited to playing on the wing.

So Spain’s number 9 options are hardly the strongest but as has been the case in previous generations, the midfield is where La Roja really shine.

2. France – 50 goals

As has been the case for decades now, France are absolutely stacked when it comes to attacking options.

The star is Kylian Mbappe, who has been used centrally since moving to Real Madrid and has scored 23 goals in as many league games this season.

Behind him, Hugo Ekitike has been a bright, if sometimes inconsistent, spark since moving to Liverpool and is the Reds’ top scorer this season on 11.

Inter’s Marcus Thuram represents the most natural number 9 choice and has seven goals in his 23 Serie A matches.

Reigning Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele can also play centrally, doing so effectively for PSG, and has eight goals in 16 Ligue 1 matches this campaign.

Finally, Tottenham’s Randal Kolo Muani is an option but has just one Premier League goal in 23 matches this year.

1. England – 59

If England are to lift the trophy for the first time in 60 years, they will need Harry Kane on the pitch.

The captain is one of the best strikers in the world and leads the European Golden Boot race with 31 goals but behind him, options are limited.

Once thought of as the natural replacement, Ollie Watkins’ form has fallen off a cliff this year and the Villa frontman has recorded just nine Premier League goals this year.

The thought of Dominic Calvert-Lewin making an England squad seemed unlikely just 12 months ago but a resurgence at Leeds has boosted his chances.

A hot streak early in the year put him on Thomas Tuchel’s radar but he only has 10 goals in the Premier League this season and is always an injury concern.

Behind him, namesake Dominic Solanke remains an option but he has played just 12 league games this year and scored three times for a Tottenham side staring at the drop.

A fifth option for Tuchel could be to move Marcus Rashford centrally but he has always looked more effective outside. Anthony Gordon then, who has six league goals this year, may be deployed in the number 9 role should Kane be absent.