Attacking players in football is often what helps fans to fall in love with the sport. From breathtaking agility to pure power and pace, different attackers offer various utilities to their respective sides. However, for the most part, the number 9 of the team has the role of putting the ball in the back of the net. Although the task is worded simply, it is a fine art that not many can perfect.
The following list will look at the football players in the 21st century who were the very best at finishing their chances. A top finisher would often be able to convert a goal in the most unlikely of situations, elevating them above the rest.
The players included will be ranked solely on their ability to put the ball in the back of the net. This means that other aspects of forward play, or their total number of goals, will not be taken into consideration. In short, it's all about who was most capable of putting away their chances.
10 10. Gonzalo Higuain
Career goals: 335
Gonzalo Higuain
Despite not being the most flashy or breathtaking forwards, there are few that can find the back of the net better than Gonzalo Higuain. The Argentine forward has been able to make the most of his chances, wherever he has played.
Spending the prime years of his career in Italy, the clinical forward scored 125 times in 224 Serie A appearances. However, Higuain had already proven himself to be an elite finisher prior to a move to Italy, netting 121 times for Real Madrid in 264 games. A scorer of all kinds of goals, Higuain had an elite finishing instinct, making him one of the most threatening forwards of the 21st century.
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9 9. Robert Lewandowski
Career goals: 590
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring against Chelsea.
One of the greatest strikers of all time, Robert Lewandowski has never had trouble finding the back of the net. Playing for the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and Barcelona, the Polish forward has always been the main man.
Being able to operate as both a target man and coming deep, Lewandowski is known for his elite finishing ability, even being his own creator at times. Right foot, left foot, header - the striker can finish in any-which-way, on any occasion. With over 100 goals in the Champions League, Lewandowski has proven his finishing ability on the biggest of stages.
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8 8. Andriy Shevchenko
Career goals: 342
Andriy Shevchenko
Ballon D'or winner Andriy Shevchenko was electric throughout the 2000s, scoring goals left, right and center. The hardworking Ukrainian earned his striking proficiency through a combination of both high-energy performances and an elite understanding of football.
Other aspects that Shevchenko possessed made him a manager's dream when looking for a striker. From pace to ball-striking ability, Shevchenko had an arsenal of weapons up his sleeve to find the back of the net. Best known for his time at AC Milan, the club legend scored a total of 175 goals for the Italian giants across 322 games.
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7 7. Erling Haaland
Career goals: 242
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Physical domination and potent finishing are the name of the game when it comes to Erling Haaland. The 6 foot 4 inch Norweigian has been devastating from a young age, causing the world's greatest defenders headaches at the highest level.
Possessing the skills of a traditional number 9, Haaland often bullies his opponents, but even when his all-round contribution to games is somewhat limited, he has an incredible knack of coming to life when it counts most - in front of goal. At club and international level, from the Bundesliga to the Premier League, Haaland has blitzed through an abundance of goalscoring records.
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6 6. Luis Suárez
Career goals: 496
Luis Suarez celebrates scoring for Barcelona.
In the 21st century, there have been few players that have been as entertaining to watch as Luis Suárez. Spending the best years of his career at Liverpool and Barcelona, the Uruguayan is one of the greatest strikers of the 21st century.
A relentlessly hard worker blessed with immaculate technical ability, there were few ways to stop Suárez when he got an opportunity to find the back of the net. Whether he found himself in the six-yard box or outside the penalty area, there was always a way Suárez could score - from poacher's efforts to 30-yard screamers, without ruling out running past an entire defence single-handed before rounding the goalkeeper.
Surarez focused more on pure finishing as he aged and his natural dynamism began to fade. Nonetheless, he still maintained elite goalscoring numbers.
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5 5. Alan Shearer
Career goals: 363
Alan Shearer celebrating a goal with Newcastle United
The greatest goalscorer in English football history, Alan Shearer possessed an unworldly talent when it came to finding the back of the net, which could be boiled down to simply possessing a very hard and very accurate shot.
The all-time Premier League top goalscorer has a remarkable 260 goals in the competition, earning three golden boots in the process. His younger years would see him use his pace to his advantage, causing issues for even the swiftest defenders.
As he aged, Shearer began to rely more on his strength and understanding of the game, while maintaining his incredible goalscoring prowess. The former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker totaled his goalscoring tally at 363 in just 704 games, averaging a goal every 0.52 games.
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4 4. Lionel Messi
Career goals: 744
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Hailed by many as the greatest football player to ever grace the game, Lionel Messi has never found any problems scoring goals. From the early stages of his career to the latter, Messi has always been one of the most prolific attacking threats in the world.
Traits immediately associated with the Argentine include his perfect ball control and passing ability. However, he is also an expert finisher. Seemingly able to see opportunities and angles that others couldn't, Messi would often finish chances in the most unlikely of circumstances. Messi has been a consistent goalscorer for over 15 years. Among his extensive list of achievements, he scored a remarkable 91 goals in a calendar year in 2012.
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3 3. Ruud van Nistelrooy
Career goals: 331
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Although The Netherlands have always been able to produce top attacking talent, there has been no one able to find the back of the net quite like Ruud van Nistelrooy. By no means a target man, van Nistelrooy often used his one-of-a-kind ability to sniff out chances and convert unlikely goals.
Even in the tightest of situations, all the Dutchman needed was a matter of inches to get his shot off and beat the goalkeeper. He was a master of movement, shifting his body weight and deft touches, all of which made him virtually impossible to stop when given a chance at goal. With 150 goals for Manchester United, there was never an opposition defender who had an easy 90 minutes when coming up against the lethal forward.
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2 2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Career goals: 772
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid Champions League
Despite spending a significant period of his career as a winger, Cristiano Ronaldo developed himself over time to become one of the greatest goalscorers football has ever witnessed. Ball control, pace, power, aerial ability, Ronaldo used all of these skills to his advantage to score hundreds of career goals.
However, his finishing ability is what allowed him to have so much success in his career. With an extreme hunger for goals, the Portuguese forward always had one objective in mind, to find the back of the net. From one-on-one chances against the goalkeeper to a cross into the box, football fans can always anticipate Ronaldo finding the back of the net.
Even as certain elements of his playing style have dwindled with age, Ronaldo's finishing ability has never left him and certainly in his later years with his speed and agility fading, chance conversion has become his most important asset.
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1 1. Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima
Career goals: 309
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Absolutely lethal on even his worst days, an incredible 309 goals in 481 games makes Ronaldo Nazário our choice for the best finisher of the 21st century. When the Brazilian first exploded onto the scene, he was an energetic and dynamic all-round forward, comparable to a young Lionel Messi.
But injuries affected his movement and he was forced to transition into a purer goalscorer, who reserved his physical and technical qualities for finding the back of the net. Ronaldo did exactly that when he fired Brazil to the World Cup in 2002, scoring twice in the final. Ronaldo somehow never lifted a Champions League title, but was an unstoppable force for Real Madrid and throughout the early 2000s.
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Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, correct as of 29/11/24.