Why neither Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland are the best striker in the world - the public and Glenn Hoddle have their say
By Tom Masters
Published 18/10/2025 at 13:45 GMT+1
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Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are undoubtedly two of the very best strikers in the world. But are they the very best or is there someone who may be ahead of them? TNT Sports released a poll on this very subject, asking if Harry Kane was in fact topping hose two global superstars at this current moment - and 62% said yes, something Glenn Hoddle also agreed with on current form.
Kane bettter 'all-round' striker than Haaland and Mbappe, says Hoddle
Video credit: TNT Sports
When you are talking about the best strikers in world football, the mind immediately goes to Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Those two stars, at Real Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, score goals - and lots of them.
But the best striker in the world conversation is not a duopoly – there is very much a third name on people's lips.
That name is Harry Kane, the Bayern Munich striker and England captain, who deserves to be among the conversations of the very elite strikers as another player who just seems to always find a way to score.
Statistically, those three are miles ahead of the rest – Mbappe is top scorer in La Liga with nine, Haaland is top of the Premier League’s scoring charts also with nine and Kane has 11 goals in just six Bundesliga matches.
The next highest, Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid and Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo, have six goals each.
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Harry Kane scored two goals as England sealed qualification against Latvia
Image credit: Getty Images
It has got to the point now where Kane, England’s record goalscorer on 76 and counting, seems to break a record every week, much like his two other main rivals for the European Golden Shoe.
Most recently, that record saw him become the first Bundesliga player to score 11 goals in six matches.
It is all well and good trying to decipher who is the best by looking at statistics, but when you are looking at clearly the best three strikers in the world, it takes more than mere numbers to find an answer.
Is Harry Kane the best striker in the world?
The public certainly seem to think so.
When that question was posed on TNT Sports’ social media accounts, almost 62% of voters said yes.
And if the opinions of your peers were not enough, then what about Glenn Hoddle?
The former England midfielder and manager knows a thing or two about world-class strikers, having played with Gary Lineker and others throughout his esteemed career.
On TNT Sports’ coverage of Nottingham Forest v Chelsea, he agreed with the public that Kane, a fellow former Tottenham Hotspur man, is currently the best striker out there.
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Kane bettter 'all-round' striker than Haaland and Mbappe, says Hoddle
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I agree with them because it is not only his goalscoring abilities, it is what he is, he is a No. 10 as well," Hoddle said. "He can come off and hit passes.
"Erling Haaland, you can say Mbappe, there are some wonderful players still out there, but they have not got the all-round ability that Kane has got. He scores goals and he makes and creates goals.
"Our problem with England and [Thomas] Tuchel, if he gets injured, we’re struggling a little bit, let’s be fair."
That is likely something that Tuchel, who heralded Kane as the best striker he has ever coached, would have considered, with no other player in his recent squad for the wins over Wales and Latvia having more than 18 international goals.
With the form that Kane is in now, the German will be praying he can keep the form up heading into next summer, but also that he can avoid any sort of injury as England look to finally get over the final hurdle and win an international trophy.
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Anderson 'born to be at this level' but 'not a shoo-in' for England
Video credit: TNT Sports
Were the Golden Generation ‘egotistical losers?’
When looking at this England squad, it is hard not to be excited by both the talent and the depth in many key areas.
But this is not the first time The Three Lions have had a squad the world envied.
Twenty years ago, England fans were looking at the World Cup the following summer and licking their lips.
They had a squad that contained the likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in midfield, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand in defence, and Wayne Rooney and 2001 Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen in attack.
Yet that side were unable to advance past the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup, beaten by Portugal after Rooney was sent off and England were dumped out on penalties.
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Gerrard, who played the full 120 minutes of that quarter-final defeat, missing a penalty in the shootout, recently described that England side as "egotistical losers" on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.
Peter Crouch, who replaced fellow TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole against Portugal, was not sure he agreed with Gerrard’s comments, but admitted not winning anything was something he regrets.
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'Of course we were losers' - Crouch reacts to Gerrard's England comments
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I was just a loser, I didn’t have an ego," Crouch joked.
"Every player has big egos, right - you don’t get to be a Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham without one. They’ve got egos but rightly so - they were very talented players.
"Of course we were losers, we didn’t win anything, we didn’t win a Euros and that was frustrating with that generation of players but they won enough in their lives to suggest otherwise."
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