The Best #9s in Football Today

In this article, we carefully selected the ten best #9s in football today. This list also only includes players who are mainly centre-forwards so we didn’t include any wingers. Our selections are in descending order, meaning the first subsection is about the best #9, and so on.

The #9 kit or jersey has become legendary in recent decades. Names like Di Stefano, Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Ronaldo, Cruyff, and more have worn #9. This also puts a lot of pressure on players today because the number embodies the complete forward. Some of the players on this list will go down in the history books for wearing the same number. The others still have a lot to prove. This is our list of the 10 best #9s in football today.

Erling Haaland is the Best #9 in Football Today

Haaland is the dream striker of every manager in the world. His numbers are insane. It’s no wonder people think he’s a robot. In just 8 league appearances, Erling has 14 goals and 3 assists. During City’s latest match against United, Haaland set another Premier League record that won’t be broken any time soon. The Norwegian is the fastest player to reach three Premier League hat-tricks in history, having done so in only 8 games. Michael Owen, the previous record holder, did it in 48 matches.

Additionally, Erling also has 5 goals in only 3 UCL appearances this season. He’s not only the best U23 footballer in the world but one of the best overall as well. Apart from this, the 22-year-old is expected to shatter multiple records this season. If Haaland avoids injuries, he’s on track to become the top goalscorer in both the Premier League and the UCL. Just like Luis Suarez said, Haaland’s the best #9 in football today. For specific betting markets related to Erling, check out 888sport.

Robert Lewandowski Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

Lewandowski is our clear pick for the second-best footballer wearing #9 today. The 34-year-old received some criticism about being only good in the Bundesliga, the same as Haaland until they both proved everyone wrong. Robert has 9 goals and 2 assists in only 7 LaLiga appearances.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53dvzrYewdA

His goal contribution is only 1% smaller than Haaland’s. Furthermore, Lewa also has 3 UCL goals in 3 appearances. It’s obvious that Lewandowski is, and will continue to be, one of the best Champions League strikers in 2022/2023.

Robert will remain a key player in Barcelona’s future. But it’s also no secret that he joined the Catalans in pursuit of winning the Ballon d’Or. Online sportsbook sites in the UK predict Lewa will be the top goalscorer in LaLiga this season. His contract should keep him in Spain until 2026 with an option for a further year. Not much has changed since last season, however, because Robert was one of the best #9s in football then as well.

Gabriel Jesus Emerges as One of the Best #9s in Football Today

Since the start of the season, Jesus has proved himself as Arsenal’s best summer signing. The Brazilian has 5 goals and 3 assists in 8 Premier League appearances. He’s a major reason why Arsenal are currently on the top of the table. Gabriel’s move from City was evident and it was probably for the better. If he had stayed, he couldn’t have progressed as much. He also racked up four yellow cards already, but the 25-year-old always gives his all and usually has a good match rating as well.

Brazil are currently the World Cup favourites, which isn’t that surprising. You can see our World Cup Group G betting predictions to find out more. While Jesus hasn’t been as crucial for his country as for his club, he’s no doubt one of the best #9s in football today. Additionally, it’s also a possibility that Richarlison will be the starting #9 for Brazil, given his recent international performances.

Karim Benzema Gave a Head Start to the Others With His Early Injury

The main man at Real Madrid, the clear favourite for the Ballon d’Or this year, Benzema is world-class. Real’s #9 missed three weeks of the season due to a muscle injury but he’s back now. In 5 appearances for his club, the Frenchman has scored 3 goals and also made an assist. He hasn’t put up any numbers in the Champions League this season, but we have a feeling we’ll soon hear of Benzema.

Sites like 888sport have Madrid as the league’s favourites. Karim, now the captain of his club, is also the second favourite to win the Pichichi this season. Benzema didn’t play that much in the Nations League so we can’t wait to see what the 34-year-old and France can do at the World Cup this year. Even with a rocky start to the season, Benzema is still one of the football #9s today.

Jonathan David is the Future of Lille and Canada

The 22-year-old centre-forward is one of the most promising prospects in football right now. David joined LOSC Lille two years ago where he progressed well. He’s currently the main goal-scoring option of the club and has a bright future ahead of him. In 9 Ligue 1 appearances, the forward has 6 goals and 2 assists. Only Neymar’s and Mbappé’s numbers are better this season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh6qkizQP28

Lille are only 8th in Ligue 1 after 9 matches but they should get back into the top 5 by the end of the season. Additionally, David also has one of the highest passing ratings for a #9 in football, and usually receives a good match rating. During the World Cup qualifiers, the 22-year-old scored 9 goals and produced 5 assists in 7 matches. This earned Canada a spot in Qatar, for which you check out our World Cup Group F predictions.

Roberto Firmino – When in Doubt, Choose the Safe #9

Firmino has been Liverpool’s main forward this season. This will likely see no changes until Darwin Nunez adapts to the Premier League. Liverpool have been struggling a lot recently and Firmino is a major reason why the Reds stayed sort of afloat. The 31-year-old has 5 goals and 3 assists in 6 league appearances. He also played less this season than most players on this list.

Online sportsbook news in the UK predicts that Firmino will leave when his contract expires in June. That should be plenty of time for Darwin to find his footing. If that doesn’t happen, Liverpool will be on the look for another forward. But as of right now, Firmino is no doubt one of the best #9s in football.

Dusan Vlahovic and Juventus Seem to Struggle a Bit

Vlahovic is one of the best and most valuable #9s in football today. He’s only 22 years old and Juventus plan on keeping him for some time. The Serbian has 5 goals and one assist in 7 Serie A appearances this season. But he only found the back of the net once in three UCL matches.

Juventus have been struggling in both competitions this season. After 8 matches, they’re only 7th in the league. As for the Champions League, Vlahovic and Juventus might be on their way to the Europa League. Additionally, Vlahovic only played once for Serbia this year. But he scored a goal and his country won against Norway. Even with his club’s struggles, the 22-year-old remains one of the best #9s in football today. You can follow his stats and all related markets on 888sport.

Victor Osimhen will Become One of the Best #9s in Football

Osimhen broke into world media not so long ago. Napoli’s recent success in both the Serie A and Champions League brought a lot of attention to the whole squad. While Victor is a great forward, he’s not the sole reason for his club’s achievements this season. The 23-year-old has 2 goals and one assist in 5 Serie A appearances so far. He only started once in the UCL this season so no numbers for him yet.

It’s important to note that Napoli are unbeaten in both the Champions League and Serie A this season. Their rotation is incredible and each player could give you a stellar performance any day of the week. The 6-1 thrashing of Ajax is proof of this. Better watch out, because Victor Osimhen will soon be one of the most sought-after #9s in football.

Richarlison – Best International #9 in Football Today

We put Richarlison as the 9th best #9 in football today because of his international performances. While he’s not the most important player at either Tottenham or Brazil, he’s an incredible talent. He has 7 league appearances so far and 3 assists. But he was also in the starting eleven 38% of the time. Spurs are also currently 3rd in the Premier League so they’re at least on the right path.

As for international duty, Richarlison has made a strong case to be the starting #9 at the World Cup. The 25-year-old was put back in the squad on 25 March. Since then, he scored 7 goals and made two assists in 7 appearances. Brazil haven’t lost a game since the Copa America final, and have been incredible with Richarlison as their #9. Online sportsbooks in the UK have great betting markets for Richarlison and Brazil.

Roma and Mourinho Offer Redemption for Tammy Abraham

Rounding off our top 10 football #9s today is none other than Tammy Abraham. The forward experienced a slight decline a few years ago which resulted in his eventual trade to Roma. But in the Italian capital and under the management of Jose Mourinho, Abraham has shown signs of greatness. More so last season than now but still, Tammy’s future is bright. He has two goals and one assist in 8 league appearances for Roma this season.

His contract should keep him in Rome until 2026, which is plenty of opportunity for further improvement. England’s international struggles are known to everyone. Let’s hope that they’ll perform better at the World Cup than in the Nations League. It also shouldn’t hurt to bring on Abraham every once in a while. After all, he’s one of the best #9s in football today.

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