Best forwards in the world: Does Mohamed Salah rank ahead of Kylian Mbappe in the top 10 best attackers list?

There are few things in football as exciting to supporters as watching dynamic forwards dance their way through to goal.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated the attacking scene for years, but as their powers fade, new stars have risen in their place.

Kylian Mbappe will hope to emulate the latter at Real Madrid, but while he has a rightful claim to be labelled the best forward in the world, others also have a strong case.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele flourished in his central role en route to winning the Champions League, while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah broke records yet again as his side won the Premier League.

While it is difficult to definitively measure who the world’s best attackers are, Sports Mole has attempted to compile a list of the 10 best active forwards.

Top 10 best forwards in the world

10. Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid and Argentina)

Debut year: 2018

Teams: River Plate, Manchester City, Atletico

Career appearances: 346

Career goals: 141

Career assists: 66

International caps: 49

Trophies: 15

Alvarez has established himself as one of the leading forwards in world football since making the move to Atletico, while he famously helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup.

The forward left Man City due to the presence of a certain Erling Haaland, who features higher up this list, as he wanted to be the main man through the middle.

That is certainly the case at Atletico, and the Red and Whites face a huge job when it comes to keeping hold of him, with Barcelona thought to be considering the Argentine as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

9. Cole Palmer (Chelsea and England)

Chelsea's Cole Palmer celebrates with the FIFA Club World Cup trophy alongside Reece James and Joao Pedro on July 13, 2025

Debut year: 2019

Teams: Manchester City, Chelsea

Career appearances: 157

Career goals: 53

Career assists: 32

International caps: 12

Trophies: 6

Cole Palmer was originally a product of the Manchester City academy, making his breakthrough under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola in the 2019-20 season.

Despite many acknowledging his talent, the England international found it difficult to consistently nail down a starting role, and in the summer of 2023, Chelsea purchased him for a fee rising to £42.5m.

The transfer fee was seen as a significant sum by many commentators, but having scored 43 goals and provided 29 assists in just 97 appearances for the Blues, most agree that he was a bargain.

Palmer has predominantly played from the right of attack for Chelsea - though he has also been used in an attacking midfield role - and he played a key part in helping the Londoners win the Conference League in 2024-25 and the Club World Cup in the summer of 2025.

8. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool and Egypt)

Debut year: 2010

Teams: Al Mokawloon, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma, Liverpool

Career appearances: 775

Career goals: 388

Career assists: 198

International caps: 106

Trophies: 11

Mohamed Salah enjoyed arguably the greatest individual Premier League season of all time in 2024-25, scoring 29 goals while also creating a further 18 goals.

His 47 goals and assists matched the Premier League record for the most goal involvements in one season, equal with Alan Shearer and Andy Cole, though both played 42 games in their respective seasons.

The Egyptian also performed against the division's best, netting against Tottenham Hotspur (three), Manchester City (two), Newcastle United (two), Aston Villa (two), Manchester United (two), Chelsea (one) and Arsenal (one), as well as registering 11 assists against those opponents.

Though the winger's form did tail off towards the end of the campaign, the Premier League title had been all but secured for a number of weeks prior to the end of 2024-25, and he still contributed when it mattered most.

Salah's ability to influence games as both a goalscorer and a creator in what many consider to be the world's toughest league makes him a standout player, but he is only just ranked in the top 10 at this stage due to his struggles in the early months of the 2025-26 campaign.

7. Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid and Brazil)

© Imago

Debut year: 2017

Teams: Flamengo, Real Madrid

Career appearances: 433

Career goals: 133

Career assists: 99

International caps: 43

Trophies: 14

Vinicius Junior has established himself as one of the finest forwards in the world, with his speed, technical qualities and threat in the final third making him a dangerous asset from the left.

His career began in Brazil at Flamengo before playing his debut season for Los Blancos in 2018-19, though he struggled to settle in Spain, with the attacker scoring just eight league goals in his first three campaigns.

However, the Brazilian struck a formidable partnership with Karim Benzema in 2021-22, scoring 22 goals and providing 17 assists in all competitions..

Vinicius Junior also netted the winning goal in the Champions League final that season against Liverpool, and he has since continued to excel, with the winger playing a key role in a second Champions League win in 2023-24.

6. Raphinha (Barcelona and Brazil)

Debut year: 2015

Teams: Avai FC, Vitoria de Guimaraes, Rennes, Sporting Lisbon, Leeds United, Barcelona

Career appearances: 432

Career goals: 129

Career assists: 97

International caps: 36

Trophies: 7

Raphinha was always a talented player, but few would have expected him to have produced the campaign he did in 2024-25, with the forward scoring 34 goals and providing 22 assists for Barcelona in all competitions.

In just 14 Champions League games for the Catalans that term, the Brazilian netted 13 times and registered eight assists, and his tally equalled the record for the most goal involvements in a single Champions League season, though Cristiano Ronaldo only needed 11 matches to reach that total in 2013-14.

Perhaps more remarkable was the fact he produced these numbers while playing from the left of a front three given he had predominantly played from the right in his career.

While some supporters believe that Yamal was Barca's best player in 2024-25, it is difficult to overlook Raphinha's historic contributions in attack.

5. Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain and France)

Debut year: 2015

Teams: Rennes, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain

Career appearances: 447

Career goals: 126

Career assists: 103

International caps: 57

Trophies: 16

Paris Saint-Gemain forward Ousmane Dembele's transformation into one of the word's finest attacking players has been nothing short of remarkable considering many though the Frenchman's career was beyond salvation.

Accusations had been thrown at him that he was lax too often without the ball, but the attacker was one of PSG's most aggressive players out of possession in 2024-25.

His intensity was key to helping his side finally win the Champions League, with the attacker picking up two assists in the final against Inter Milan in May 2025.

It should be noted that the Frenchman was often deployed by boss Luis Enrique in a false nine role, and his move away from wide areas was effective considering he scored 33 goals and provided 13 assists in 49 matches.

Dembele won the Ballon d'Or in September 2025.

4. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain)

Debut year: 2023

Teams: Barcelona

Career appearances: 143

Career goals: 37

Career assists: 52

International caps: 23

Trophies: 5

Despite establishing himself as a starter for Barcelona in 2023-24, Yamal does not turn 20 until July 2027, and his career to date has been remarkable.

The teenager made his debut for Barca at just 15 years, nine months, and 16 days old, making him the fifth youngest player in La Liga's history, as well as the youngest player to appear for Barcelona's first team.

Yamal was instrumental to Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, registering an assist in the round of 16, the quarter-final and final itself, while also scoring in the semi-final.

His creative skillset was key for Barcelona in 2024-25, with his tally of 21 assists only bettered by one teammate, who happens to be the next player on the list.

Football fans have made tentative comparisons to Messi, though Yamal still has some way to go before he can claim the Argentine's throne as arguably the best player of all time.

3. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)

Debut year: 2011

Teams: Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City, Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich

Career appearances: 723

Career goals: 480

Career assists: 114

International caps: 117

Trophies: 1

Harry Kane is one of the few strikers able to compete with Haaland for the title as the world's best number nine, with his recent displays in Germany furthering his legacy.

In terms of his output in 2024-25, the Englishman netted 38 times and racked up 12 assists, though his numbers were slightly short of the 44 goals and 12 assists he managed for Bayern in 2023-24.

Kane has changed his playstyle as he has aged, as while he was previously an expert in the penalty area, he has often been seen dropping deep to collect possession and play passes to teammates.

It is his creative talents that sees Kane rank higher than Haaland, though the latter will still continue to break records and will undoubtedly cement his place in footballing history.

Kane failed to win a trophy during his time in England with Tottenham Hotspur, but his legacy in his home country is beyond reproach considering his 213 Premier League goals makes him the second highest scorer in the history of the division.

2. Erling Haaland (Manchester City and Norway)

Debut year: 2017

Teams: Bryne, Molde, Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City

Career appearances: 407

Career goals: 349

Career assists: 64

International caps: 46

Trophies: 9

Erling Haaland currently holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a single Premier League season (36), and he managed that fear in his debut season for Manchester City in 2022-23.

The striker played a key role in helping City win two league titles, as well as their first Champions League crown in 2022-23, and he is arguably the best striker in Europe.

Haaland also finished as runner-up to Lionel Messi in the 2023 Ballon d'Or rankings, but while he was unable to get the better of the Argentine, he did equal Ronaldo's record of the quickest player to score 100 goals in all competitions for one club (105 appearances) in Europe's top five leagues in September 2024.

Despite netting 22 times in the Premier League in 2024-25, there were some who criticised the forward for his performances, which highlights the standard that he is held to.

However, he has been in excellent form at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

1. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France)

Debut year: 2015

Teams: Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid

Career appearances: 537

Career goals: 398

Career assists: 174

International caps: 93

Trophies: 18

Kylian Mbappe finally secured his dream move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, leaving Paris Saint-Germain upon the expiry of his contract.

The Frenchman left PSG having scored 256 times for the club, as well as having registered 110 assists, in 308 games.

Though the winger had to adjust to a new role as Real's striker, he still managed to excel, finding the back of the net 44 times in 59 matches for Los Blancos, while providing a further five assists.

Real failed to win La Liga or the Champions League in 2024-25, but Mbappe proved that he can still make an impact at the highest level, and he was arguably let down by his teammates.

Mbappe has been in stunning form so far this season, and he tops this particular list.