Alexander Isak in action for Newcastle UnitedAlexander Isak in action for Newcastle United
Alexander Isak in action for Newcastle United | AFP via Getty Images
Alexander Isak was hailed as ‘the best striker in the world’ during his prolific 2024-25 season with Newcastle United.
The 25-year-old scored the winning goal in Newcastle’s 2-1 Carabao Cup success over Liverpool at Wembley Stadium back in March and enjoyed the longest scoring streak of any Premier League player during the 2024-25 season, finding the net in eight successive league matches between December and January.
Alexander Isak ‘the best striker in the world’?
Isak’s scoring heroics for Newcastle saw him regularly hailed as ‘the best striker in the world’ during the season.
A sentiment echoed by Isak’s Newcastle team-mate, Sandro Tonali.
"I am happy for him because Alex is a great striker and maybe one of the best in the world now,” Tonali said earlier in the season. “We work for him because when Alex scores, very often we win the game. We are happy.
“I think Alex now is the best in the world."
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe also claimed that he wouldn’t swap Isak for any other striker in world football given his age and all-around ability.
While the view of those on Tyneside and several pundits may be that Newcastle have the best striker in the world, it’s not a view that has necessarily reached the other side of the Atlantic.
Alexander Isak NOT the best striker in the world?
According to leading American sports outlet ESPN, Isak isn’t even in the top five strikers in the world in 2025.
The ESPN 100, which lists the ‘100 best footballers in the world’ based on position, named Isak as the sixth-best striker in the world.
The Swede moved up from being ranked 18th in 2024 and was named behind a top five consisting of Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland and Lautaro Martinez. Newcastle fans may dispute Isak’s omission from the top five, given the striker scored more league goals than both Haaland and Martinez during the 2024-25 campaign.
Explaining Isak’s selection, ESPN wrote: “With a genuine shortage of world-class centre forwards in the global game right now, Newcastle have one of the hottest in football with Isak - a young, prolific, proven goal scorer who is performing in one of the world's top leagues.
“With so many clubs looking for a top striker, Isak's value at Newcastle has rocketed.”
But Isak isn’t the only Newcastle player to be included in the ESPN 100.
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Sandro Tonali & Bruno Guimaraes listed in top 100 players
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes has moved up from 17th to 8th in the rankings for central midfielders after another strong season.
The Brazilian was behind Joshua Kimmich, Nicolo Barella, Vitinha, Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Valverde, Declan Rice and Pedri.
On Guimaraes, ESPN said: “When it comes to two-way central midfielders who can do a bit of everything, there are few better, and he can operate as a defensive midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker or even in a box-to-box role. He's also hugely durable and consistent, having missed just one league game for Newcastle in the past two seasons.”
But another ranking that Newcastle supporters may dispute is Sandro Tonali’s 15th-place position. Tonali is a new entry in the ESPN 100 after missing out last year amid a betting ban.
Tonali being deployed in the No. 6 role at Newcastle midway through the season ultimately changed the course of the club’s campaign as they went from midtable mediocrity to Carabao Cup success and Champions League qualification. The Italian was at the heart of Newcastle’s change in fortunes.
Many would argue Tonali had a better campaign than Guimaraes, with six goals across all competitions.
On Tonali, ESPN said: “The 25-year-old has emerged to prove himself as a top-class midfielder at Newcastle in his own right, a player capable of creating and destroying, blending tenacity with vision.
“Tonali's midfield partnership with Bruno Guimarães has become one of the best in Europe, and after serving a 10-month suspension for breaching betting regulations, Tonali has become a standout player in the Premier League.”
There were no other spots on the list for any other Newcastle players on the list - a harsh omission for defensive extrodinaire Dan Burn!
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