The 13 Best No.9s of All-Time
- Think Football Ideas
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
Putting the ball into the net has always been the hardest task in football and continues to be a benchmark for greatness. The ability to lead the line, shoulder responsibility, and decide matches with a single swing of the boot is what separates the ordinary from the legendary.
Some strikers carried entire clubs on their shoulders, while others rewrote record books for both country and continent. The No.9 shirt is not just a number, it is a symbol of firepower, leadership, and undying influence.
Below Are The 13 Best No.9s of All-Time
13. George Weah (Liberia)
Career: 1984–2003
Clubs: Monaco, PSG, AC Milan, Chelsea, Man City
Stats: 194 goals / 479 appearances
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 2x Serie A, 1x Division 1, 1x FA Cup
George Weah’s legacy stretches far beyond the pitch. Before he became Liberia’s president, he was the face of African football excellence, bursting onto the European scene with Monaco and later dazzling for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.
His pace, balance, and finishing ability made him unplayable in the mid-90s, culminating in the 1995 Ballon d’Or, which was an unprecedented achievement for an African player at the time.
Even as his career drew toward its close in England and beyond, his aura never dimmed. Weah was more than a striker; he was a trailblazer.
12. Karim Benzema (France)
Career: 2004–present
Clubs: Lyon, Real Madrid, Al-Ittihad
Stats: 453 goals / 854 appearances
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 5x Champions League, 4x La Liga, 4x Ligue 1
Karim Benzema’s career can be described as one of reinvention. At Lyon, he was a natural finisher.
At Real Madrid, he became the glue in an attack built around Cristiano Ronaldo, sacrificing personal accolades for collective dominance.
Yet once he stepped out of the Portuguese icon’s shadow, Benzema’s artistry flourished, as he started linking play, scoring decisive goals, and helped guide Madrid to multiple Champions League triumphs.
Benzema's Ballon d’Or in 2022 sealed a narrative of patience, adaptability, and brilliance across almost two decades at the highest level.
11. Gabriel Batistuta (Argentina)
Career: 1988–2004
Clubs: Fiorentina, Roma, Inter
Stats: 245 goals / 448 appearances
Honours: 1x Serie A, 1x Coppa Italia, 2x Copa América
Nicknamed Batigol, Gabriel Batistuta was Argentina’s gunman of the 1990s. At Fiorentina, he achieved cult hero status by remaining loyal through relegation before firing them back to Serie A glory.
His thunderous right foot terrorised defences in Italy and beyond, while his international exploits included two Copa América titles.
Even in his later years with Roma, he proved decisive, scoring 20 league goals to deliver their long-awaited Scudetto in 2001. Batistuta wasn’t merely prolific; he was iconic.
10. Zlatan Ibrahimović (Sweden)
Career: 1999–2023
Clubs: Ajax, Juve, Inter, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, Man Utd, LA Galaxy
Stats: 496 goals / 827 appearances
Honours: 5x Serie A, 4x Ligue 1, 2x Eredivisie, 1x La Liga, 1x Europa League
Few strikers carried the aura of Zlatan Ibrahimović. With his audacious goals, karate-style volleys, and outsized personality, the Swede lit up every league he touched, from Ajax’s Eredivisie to Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, and beyond.
He finished his career with nearly 500 club goals and a trophy haul spanning Europe’s top competitions. Zlatan didn’t only score, he entertained, polarised, and embodied the No.9 as a force of nature. When he retired in 2023, football lost one of its most unique characters.
9. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Career: 1997–2019
Clubs: Mallorca, Barcelona, Inter, Chelsea, Everton, others
Stats: 364 goals / 732 appearances
Honours: 3x Champions League, 3x La Liga, 1x Serie A, 2x Copa del Rey, 2x AFCON
Samuel Eto’o was a striker built for the grand stage. Whether leading Barcelona’s frontline in their Champions League-winning campaigns or spearheading Inter Milan’s treble in 2010, Eto’o delivered when it mattered most.
Quick, strong, and lethal, he earned three Champions League titles across his career and became a symbol of African excellence in Europe. Few strikers combined efficiency with such consistency across different leagues and cultures. Eto’o’s name belongs among the elite.
8. Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
Career: 1981–1995
Clubs: Ajax, AC Milan
Stats: 277 goals / 373 appearances
Honours: 3x Ballon d’Or, 2x European Cup, 1x Euros, 4x Serie A
Marco van Basten’s career was cruelly cut short by injuries, but in his prime, he was poetry in motion. Graceful in technique yet ruthless in finishing, he epitomised Dutch attacking flair.
His volley in the Euro 1988 final remains one of football’s greatest goals, and his record at Ajax and AC Milan speaks volumes: league titles, European Cups, and three Ballon d’Ors. Van Basten’s legacy is a bittersweet reminder of how devastating a striker can be, even in limited time.
7. Alan Shearer (England)
Career: 1988–2006
Clubs: Southampton, Blackburn, Newcastle
Stats: 360 goals / 701 appearances
Honours: 1x Premier League (Blackburn, 1995)
PL’s all-time top scorer (260 goals).
England’s ultimate No.9, Alan Shearer, was the embodiment of power, precision, and relentlessness. His 260 Premier League goals remain a record, a testament to his consistency across almost two decades.
Shearer lifted the Premier League title with Blackburn in 1995 before cementing his place as a Newcastle United legend, carrying the weight of the famous black-and-white No.9 shirt with pride. He was the striker every defender feared.
The ex-Southampton and Blackburn striker was dominant in the air, lethal with both feet, and unshakable under pressure.
6. Bobby Charlton (England)
Career: 1956–1980
Clubs: Man United (mainly), others
Stats: 243 goals / 744 appearances
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 1x World Cup, 3x First Division, 1x European Cup
Though later renowned as a midfielder, Sir Bobby Charlton’s early years with Manchester United saw him wear the No.9 with devastating effect.
A World Cup winner in 1966 and Ballon d’Or recipient the same year, Charlton was both a leader and a goalscorer of rare quality.
His thunderous long-range strikes became his signature, while his resilience after the Munich Air Disaster turned him into a symbol of courage for both club and country. Charlton wasn’t merely a great No.9, he was a national hero.
5. Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
Career: 2005–present
Clubs: Nacional, Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, Atlético, Gremio, Inter Miami
Stats: 492 goals / 799 appearances
Honours: 1x Champions League, 5x La Liga, 1x Eredivisie, 1x League Cup, 1x Copa América
Luis Suárez is one of football’s most polarising figures, but his ability is undeniable. From Ajax to Liverpool and then Barcelona, he was relentless, cunning, and brutally effective in front of goal.
With Lionel Messi and Neymar at Barca, he formed one of the greatest attacking trios in football history, collecting five La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy.
Suárez’s goalscoring numbers, approaching 500 career goals, are as ferocious as his competitive spirit. Love him or hate him, he is a definitive modern No.9.
4. Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
Career: 2005–present
Clubs: Lech Poznań, Dortmund, Bayern, Barcelona
Stats: 585 goals / 785 appearances
Honours: 1x Champions League, 10x Bundesliga, 1x La Liga
Robert Lewandowski is the benchmark for modern professionalism. His diet, training, and mindset shaped him into a goal machine who thrived at Borussia Dortmund before exploding into superstardom with Bayern Munich.
With over 600 career goals, a Champions League, and 10 Bundesliga titles, Lewandowski defined an era of German football dominance. His five goals in nine minutes against Wolfsburg remain one of the most jaw-dropping feats in the sport’s history.
3. Gerd Müller (Germany)
Career: 1963–1981
Clubs: Bayern Munich, Nordlingen, Fort Lauderdale
Stats: 570 goals / 613 appearances
Honours: 1x Ballon d’Or, 1x World Cup, 3x European Cup, 4x Bundesliga
Nicknamed Der Bomber, Gerd Müller redefined what it meant to be a penalty-box striker. With 570 goals in 613 club games and a staggering international record of 68 goals in 62 matches for West Germany, Müller’s efficiency bordered on the absurd.
He powered Bayern Munich to domestic and European glory, winning the World Cup in 1974 and the Ballon d’Or in 1970. His instincts inside the box remain unmatched, even in today’s data-driven era.
2. Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina/Spain)
Career: 1945–1966
Clubs: River Plate, Millonarios, Real Madrid
Stats: 300 goals / 429 appearances
Honours: 2x Ballon d’Or, 5x European Cup, 8x La Liga
Alfredo Di Stéfano was not simply a striker, he was the beating heart of Real Madrid’s golden age.
Arriving from South America in the 1950s, Di Stéfano brought with him versatility, vision, and goalscoring prowess that transformed the Spanish giants into Europe’s most feared side.
His five consecutive European Cups with Real Madrid remain unparalleled, while his influence spanned every blade of grass. Di Stéfano’s genius was not about statistics alone, it was about redefining what a footballer could be.
1. Ronaldo (Brazil)
Career: 1993–2011
Clubs: Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Corinthians
Stats: 309 goals / 482 appearances
Honours: 2x Ballon d’Or, 2x World Cup, 1x La Liga, 1x UEFA Cup, 1x Copa del Rey, 1x KNVB Cup
When football fans hear “R9,” there is no confusion, it refers to Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima. Explosive pace, jaw-dropping dribbles, and an eye for goal like no other made him the archetype of the modern striker.
He lit up Barcelona, Inter, and Real Madrid while also conquering the international stage with two World Cups for Brazil. Despite serious injuries, Ronaldo amassed over 300 goals and two Ballon d’Or awards. To many, he remains the most gifted No.9 to ever lace up a pair of boots.