Goals win matches which is why the best strikers are so highly prized. Of course, the harder the league and level of competition, the harder it is to find the net, which is why the following may be considered among the top 10 best strikers of all time.

1. Pelé

Exactly how many goals Pelé scored in his career is open to debate, because a number of them came in exhibition games and friendlies, but it was in excess of 1,200. Most of those came for his only club Santos, but there were also 77 scored in the colours of Brazil with whom he won three World Cups.

2. Romario

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Another Brazilian who claims to have scored over 1,000 goals in his career, Romario notched then up for a host of clubs in South America and Europe, as well as for the national side at all age groups. The winner of the 1994 World Cup, Johan Cruyff once described him as a “genius in the penalty box.”

3. Gerd Müller

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Gerd Müller was the original “fox in the box.” He rarely scored goals from outside the penalty area or contributed much to the overall play, but give him a chance in the six yard box and he was deadly, with a low centre of gravity and speed of movement over short distances. He scored the winning goal in the 1974 World Cup final for West Germany and enjoyed a glittering and much decorated career with Bayern Munich.

4. Ronaldo Nazario

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Three times world player of the year and twice a Ballon d’Or winner at his peak, Ronaldo was unmatched in terms pace, power and sheer skill up front. A series of injuries robbed him of some of that speed, but he still recovered in order to score both goals for Brazil in the 2002 World Cup.

Had he managed to maintain his fitness, he might have achieved even more in the game.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo

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For all the recent controversy surrounding him, Cristiano Ronaldo deserves a place on this list because of his feat of being the leading international goalscorer of all time, and Real Madrid’s all-time top goalscorer.

6. Ferenç Puskas

Part of the magnificent Magyar Hungarian side of the early 1950s, by the time he was signed by Real Madrid in 1958, Puskás seemed past it, overweight and barely able to run. Yet he defied expectations by scoring 156 goals for them in 180 appearances, many of them with his magical left foot. They won three successive European Cups with him in the side.

7. Alfredo dí Stéfano

Another member of that legendary Real Madrid side that dominated the first era of the European Cup, the Argentine dí Stéfano was not only a highly gifted striker, but a talented playmaker, able to initiate attacks as well as finish them.

8. Marco van Basten

Dutchman van Basten first came to prominence with Ajax, before moving to AC Milan, where, with two international team-mates, Ruud Gullitt and Frank Rijkaard he formed the nucleus of the side that won three league titles and two European Cups. His volley in the European Championship final of 1988 is regarded as one of the great international tournament goals. Unfortunately an ankle injury brought a premature end to his career.

9. Eusebio

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The man known as the Black Pearl, Eusebio had an incredibly powerful shot, and, during 16 seasons with Benfica, averaged better than a goal a game. The Ballon d’Or winner in 1965, he won the European Cup with them, and 11 league titles. He also helped Portugal to a third place finish in the 1966 World Cup.

10. Just Fontaine

Fontaine, who recently passed away, will forever be remembered for his exploits at the 1958 World Cup when he scored a record 13 goals for France in the course of the tournament. For his club side Reims he scored 145 goals in 152 appearances, helping them win three league titles. Like van Basten he may have achieved even more in the game, but was forced to retire at the age of 28 because of recurring knee injuries.