Many of the greatest goalscorers the football world has ever seen didn’t always get the plaudits they deserved.
Greats like David Villa are squeezed out by other icons in their era such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, while lethal finishers like Gonzalo Higuaín were defined by their nearly moments on the big stage rather than their incredible scoring records.
Then there are those who didn’t simply didn’t get to play their best stuff in the big markets of the Premier League or La Liga, but who is the most underrated striker of the 21st century?
The Greatest 20 Wingers in Football History
The best wingers the game has ever seen.
Honourable mentions
- Grafite
- Claudio Miguel Pizarro
- Danny Welbeck
- Fernando Llorente
- Kevin Gameiro
20
Luca Toni
A late bloomer who won the European Golden Shoe and scored everywhere he went. Because he wasn’t flashy and peaked later, he rarely gets mentioned among elite 2000s strikers.
19
Fernando Morientes
Defined big European nights with Real Madrid and Monaco. Intelligent movement, clutch goals – but overshadowed by the Galáctico era stars around him.
|
Morientes’ prime at Real Madrid |
La Liga goals |
|---|---|
|
1997-1998 |
12 |
|
1998-1999 |
19 |
|
1999-2000 |
12 |
|
2000-2001 |
6 |
|
2001-2002 |
18 |
18
Jermain Defoe
One of the cleanest finishers in Premier League history, Defoe could score from anywhere and everywhere.
If he’d played in more dominant sides, his legacy may look very different, but his iconic goals in big games such as the Tyne-Wear derby cement him as one of the great goalscorers in English football.
17
Carlos Bacca
A Europa League specialist and consistent scorer in Spain and Colombia.
Bacca was truly a big-moment striker who never quite got global appreciation, winning three Europa League titles and scoring twice in Sevilla’s 3-2 victory in the 2015 final.
16
Mario Gómez
Relentlessly productive at Bayern and Stuttgart as well as scoring 31 times in 78 caps for Germany,
Often reduced to “tap-in merchant” talk, his elite positioning and composure in league title races land him as one of the most decorated and under-appreciated strikers of his era,
15
Dimitar Berbatov
Effortless technique and a Premier League Golden Boot, his brand of underrated fits in the “streets don’t forget” category.
20 Best Strikers in Premier League History Ranked
Where does Erling Haaland rank?
His languid style fooled people into thinking he wasn’t ruthless, over 200 league goals in a club career spanning over 500 games puts paid to that.
14
Edin Džeko
Title-winning goals at Manchester City, prolific seasons in Italy and ridiculously prolific at international level, scoring 72 times for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
13
Antonio Di Natale
Two-time Serie A top scorer with Udinese. Loyalty probably cost him the global spotlight, but remembered fondly by FIFA Ultimate team players everywhere.
12
David Villa
Spain’s tournament assassin. In another era without Messi and Ronaldo, he’d be discussed far more often among the greats, having won two La Liga titles, the Champions League, European Championship and World Cup.
11
Gonzalo Higuaín
One of the most productive scorers of his generation. Narrative over numbers defined his reputation after bad misses in the 2014 World Cup.
“When we lost the World Cup final in 2014, in the dressing room, no one spoke to me because of the missed opportunity.”