A statistical showdown of the top three active forwards in football: Haaland leads in efficiency, Mbappé tops in assists.

During the third round of the Champions League group stage, Manchester City secured a 2-0 victory away at Villarreal, with Haaland scoring to extend his streak to 12 consecutive matches with goals, matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record; Bayern Munich crushed Brugge 4-0 at home, Kane scored once, tallying 20 goals in 12 games this season and scoring in 10 straight matches; Real Madrid edged Juventus 1-0 at home, Mbappé fired five shots with four on target but missed a key opportunity and was held scoreless, halting his scoring streak at 11 games.

Who is the strongest active forward in football? That’s a tough question. But who are the top three current forwards? That’s easy — it’s definitely Haaland, Kane, and Mbappé. A comprehensive comparison of their season stats (club and country) has been made.

• Haaland/Manchester City, 25 years old, valued at €180 million, 24 goals and 3 assists in 14 matches, scoring a goal every 49 minutes.
• Kane/Bayern Munich, 32 years old, valued at €75 million, 23 goals and 3 assists in 15 matches, scoring a goal every 54 minutes.
• Mbappé/Real Madrid, 26 years old, valued at €180 million, 18 goals and 4 assists in 15 matches, scoring a goal every 73 minutes.

Haaland scored 8 goals in 2 World Cup qualifiers for Norway and even skipped a national team friendly to rest for club matches, showing he’s not obsessed with just racking up stats; focusing solely on club performance, Kane is definitely the most efficient player. It’s expected these three forwards will compete for the 2026 European Golden Shoe. Although the Bundesliga has four fewer league matches than the Premier League and La Liga, Kane’s incredible efficiency makes him the favorite for next year’s European Golden Shoe.