If there’s one thing modern football loves it’s rankings. Trivial and tribal comparisons have become almost every day occurrences, from the repetitive ‘Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes’ debate to recent discourse around John Terry and Virgil van Dijk.
The BBC have now weighed in with their own rankings, listing the best centre-forwards of the 21st century. There has to be question marks over whether it’s a list assembled deliberately to cause controversy… it’s certainly caught our eye.
Ronaldo Nazario is ranked as the best centre-forward of the 21st century, despite the very best of O Fenômeno coming before the turn of the millennium. Sure, a World Cup win and Golden Boot elevate his standing, but he was never quite as unstoppable post-knee explosion.
Elsewhere, Erling Haaland has apparently done enough already to eclipse names including Thierry Henry, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Suarez.
The latter is ranked all the way down in ninth, despite breaking up Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s dominance of the European Golden Shoe (twice) and Pichichi Trophy, alongside six league titles.
Harry Kane, meanwhile, is number two on the list, in spite of only winning his first career trophy last season, aged 32.
High-profile names to miss the cut entirely include Samuel Eto’o, 2004 Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko and Ruud van Nistelrooy, among others.
The BBC’s best centre-forwards of the 21st century – ranked
- Ronaldo Nazario
- Harry Kane
- Erling Haaland
- Thierry Henry
- Robert Lewandowski
- Didier Drogba
- Karim Benzema
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
- Luis Suarez
- Miroslav Klose
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