1. Lionel Messi
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Lionel Messi sitting atop this list as of June 2015 is a reminder of how quickly things can change in a year. It was back in the spring of 2014 when Real Madrid were the kings of club football, Cristiano Ronaldo was far and away the best player in the world, and Barcelona were in full-on crisis mode. Messi and Barca have since leapfrogged Ronaldo and Real in the La Liga table and in the Champions League competition, making the Argentinian living legend worthy of being named the top striker in the world today; for now, that is. Ronaldo will begin to attempt to reclaim his throne starting in August.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
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The CIES Football Observatory listed Cristiano Ronaldo as the 29th best striker in the world today, back in March of this year. That alone should offer a reminder to everybody that numbers and stats often tell tall tales. Ronaldo ended the campaign with 48 tallies in La Liga play and an additional 10 in European action. The all-time great was also the main reason for why Portugal managed to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Maybe a manager would not choose Ronaldo as his first player if that boss was able to build a dream team. Ronaldo is nevertheless still worthy of being so high in this list.
3. Robert Lewandowski
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Probably the biggest criticism one will find when reading up on Robert Lewandowski is that he can, at times, be a little streaky. You can say that about a lot of strikers out there. Only one man, attacking midfielder Alexander Meier, scored more Bundesliga goals in 2014-15 than Lewandowski (both Lewandowski and teammate Arjen Robben hit for 17 league tallies last season). The Bayern Munich star made international headlines in June of 2015 when he grabbed a hat-trick in four minutes of play while featuring for the Poland Men’s National Team. Lewandowski will be looking to bring that kind of form to Champions League matches next season.
4. Luis Suarez
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There was a time when it appeared as if karma had finally caught up with the front man who has bitten opponents on multiple occasions, most recently during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Luis Suarez struggled to make impacts during his early days at Barcelona following his anticipated move from Liverpool to the Spanish giants, but the Uruguayan star eventually found his form and helped Barca win the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles. Talent has rarely been the issue regarding Suarez, who, to his credit, behaved himself in his first La Liga campaign.
5. Neymar
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Opinions on Neymar vary seemingly per fan and per analyst who has a hot take on the Brazilian forward who has played multiple roles since linking up with Barcelona. While some would see the flashy play-maker as a bit overrated and a player who goes to ground far too easily, others would claim that Neymar has the goods to be the next big thing in the game after the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are no longer the best footballers in the world. All would do well to remember that Neymar is only 23-years old. His best days at the club and national team levels are ahead of him.
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