Best Second Strikers in the World 2027:The second striker is football’s most awkward position to judge. He is not a pure number 9, not quite a number 10, and his best work often happens in moments that never reach the stat sheet: the drop into midfield that drags a centre-back out of position, the first-time pass that opens a back four.
The 2025/26 season was a strange one for this group. Several of last year’s names changed clubs in January, some lost months to injury, and the player who topped our list a year ago spent half the season fighting for minutes at a new club. Meanwhile, a former €127 million signing quietly had the most productive year of his career in Saudi Arabia, and a 35-year-old French icon said goodbye to Atlético Madrid and started scoring for fun in Florida.
This ranking covers the full 2025/26 club season and what has happened since.
How We Ranked These Players
We use the same four factors as before and weigh them together into one overall view:
| Factor |
|---|
| Individual performance |
| Team performance |
| Market value |
| Google search popularity |
What Changed Since Last Year
Ademola Lookman, last year’s number one, left Atalanta for Atlético Madrid in February and drops to fourth. Giacomo Raspadori also moved in January, from Atlético to Atalanta, and then picked up a muscle injury, so he falls from third to tenth. João Félix and Antoine Griezmann both move up after outstanding seasons.
The 2027 Top 10
| Rank | Player | Club | Market Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | João Félix | Al-Nassr | €19 million |
| 2 | Antoine Griezmann | Orlando City | €8 million |
| 3 | Serge Gnabry | Bayern Munich | €16 million |
| 4 | Ademola Lookman | Atlético Madrid | €39 million |
| 5 | Nicolò Zaniolo | Udinese | €13 million |
| 6 | Maksim Glushenkov | Zenit St. Petersburg | €15 million |
| 7 | Paulo Dybala | AS Roma | €4 million |
| 8 | Albert Gudmundsson | Fiorentina | €17 million |
| 9 | Yuito Suzuki | SC Freiburg | €14 million |
| 10 | Giacomo Raspadori | Atalanta | €25 million |
10. Giacomo Raspadori
- Club: Atalanta BC
- Nationality: Italy
- Market Value: €25 million
Raspadori’s season never settled. He started it at Atlético Madrid, where Diego Simeone used him mostly off the bench, and he went 12 LaLiga games without a goal. In January he returned to Italy with Atalanta, scored three Serie A goals in his first few weeks, and then tore a muscle in mid-February.
He is still one of the cleverest movers in Italian football, comfortable as a false nine or drifting behind a striker. But after a year of moving and injuries, he needs a full, healthy run at Atalanta to climb back up this list.
Giacomo Raspadori 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 13 | 3 | 1 | 793′ |
| LaLiga | 12 | – | 2 | 226′ |
| UEFA Champions League | 3 | 1 | 1 | 127′ |
| Italy Cup | 2 | – | – | 124′ |
| Copa del Rey | 1 | 1 | – | 90′ |
| Supercopa | – | – | – | – |
| TOTAL | 31 | 5 | 4 | 1,360′ |
9. Yuito Suzuki
- Club: SC Freiburg
- Nationality: Japan
- Market Value: €14 million
Yuito Suzuki’s first season in Germany was a learning year, and a busy one. Freiburg played on three fronts, and he made 41 appearances, scoring 9 goals and setting up 7. His Bundesliga numbers were modest at 4 goals and 3 assists, but he scored 4 times in the Europa League and played all 120 minutes of the DFB-Pokal semi-final, which Freiburg lost 2-1 to Stuttgart after extra time.
He is direct, works hard without the ball and is good in the air for his size. At 25 he has time to grow into a more decisive player at this level.
Yuito Suzuki 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundesliga | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1,637′ |
| Europa League | 11 | 4 | 3 | 892′ |
| DFB-Pokal | 5 | 1 | 1 | 422′ |
| TOTAL | 41 | 9 | 7 | 2,951′ |
8. Albert Gudmundsson
- Club: ACF Fiorentina
- Nationality: Iceland
- Market Value: €17 million
It was a frustrating year at Fiorentina, and Albert Gudmundsson’s numbers reflect that. He played 33 Serie A games and finished with 5 goals and 4 assists, and added 4 goals and 2 assists in the Conference League. He was sent off once and spent stretches of the spring on the bench.
What keeps him on the list is how much Fiorentina still lean on him in possession. He creates chances, takes the penalties and is the player who tries the difficult pass when others play safe. He needs a better team around him.
Albert Gudmundsson 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Apps | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 33 | 5 | 4 | 2,262′ |
| Conference League | 10 | 4 | 2 | 381′ |
| UECL Qualifying | 2 | 1 | – | 115′ |
| Italy Cup | 1 | – | – | 24′ |
| TOTAL | 46 | 10 | 6 | 2,782′ |
7. Paulo Dybala
- Club: AS Roma
- Nationality: Argentina
- Market Value: €4 million
Dybala’s season was shaped by injuries again. A hamstring problem and knee surgery limited him to 27 appearances, and at one point Roma seemed ready to let him leave when his contract ran out in June.
Then he finished the season like the Dybala of old. He helped Roma through a strong finish as Gian Piero Gasperini’s side clinched a Champions League place, and ended the season with 3 goals and 8 assists from just 27 games. In July he signed a new contract on reduced terms and turned down Boca Juniors to stay.
His market value has fallen to around €4 million because of his age and his fitness record. When he plays, he is still one of the best passers in Serie A.
Paulo Dybala 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 22 | 2 | 7 | 1,356′ |
| Europa League | 4 | 1 | 1 | 206′ |
| Italy Cup | 1 | – | – | 32′ |
| TOTAL | 27 | 3 | 8 | 1,594′ |
6. Maksim Glushenkov
- Club: Zenit St. Petersburg
- Nationality: Russia
- Market Value: €15 million
Maksim Glushenkov wears the number 10 at Zenit and he played like it. He finished the Russian Premier League season with 9 goals and 10 assists in 27 games, and added 2 goals and 2 assists in the Russian Cup.
He is left-footed, starts on the right and drifts inside, which is exactly where Zenit want him. Russia’s ban from international competition means he gets very little exposure outside his own country, but on numbers alone he belongs on this list.
Maksim Glushenkov 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Liga | 27 | 9 | 10 | 1,988′ |
| Russian Cup | 7 | 2 | 2 | 305′ |
| TOTAL | 34 | 11 | 12 | 2,293′ |
5. Nicolò Zaniolo
- Club: Udinese
- Nationality: Italy
- Market Value: €13 million
For years Nicolò Zaniolo was the story of what might have been. After four early-season appearances in Turkey, Udinese gave him a fresh start and he finally looked settled. He played 32 Serie A games and finished with 5 goals and 6 assists.
The numbers are not huge, but the consistency was new. He stayed fit, played most weeks and was directly involved in 11 of Udinese’s goals. In September the club rewarded him with a new contract until 2029. At 27, this could be the start of the career people expected from him at Roma.
Nicolò Zaniolo 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serie A | 32 | 5 | 6 | 2,271′ |
| Süper Lig | 4 | – | 1 | 50′ |
| Italy Cup | 2 | 1 | – | 129′ |
| TOTAL | 38 | 6 | 7 | 2,450′ |
4. Ademola Lookman
- Club: Atlético de Madrid
- Nationality: Nigeria
- Market Value: €39 million
Last year’s number one had a season of two halves. He scored twice in Serie A for Atalanta before Atlético signed him in February, and added 3 goals and 4 assists in the Champions League. In Madrid he was at his best in the Copa del Rey, with 3 goals and 2 assists in 4 games.
His biggest moment came in the Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad. Atlético went a goal down in the first minute, and Lookman equalised from Griezmann’s pass. Real Sociedad won on penalties, but he became only the second Nigerian to score in a Copa del Rey final. Atlético also reached the Champions League semi-finals before losing to Arsenal.
Across both clubs he finished with 10 goals and 6 assists in 37 games. Not his best year, but still one of the most valuable second strikers in the game.
Ademola Lookman 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copa del Rey | 4 | 3 | 2 | 272′ |
| LaLiga | 8 | 2 | – | 356′ |
| UEFA Champions League | 13 | 3 | 4 | 783′ |
| Serie A | 12 | 2 | – | 797′ |
| Italy Cup | 0 | – | – | 0′ |
| TOTAL | 37 | 10 | 6 | 2,208′ |
3. Serge Gnabry
- Club: Bayern Munich
- Nationality: Germany
- Market Value: €16 million
Serge Gnabry was having one of his best seasons in years when his body let him down. He tore an adductor in early April, missed the end of Bayern’s season and was ruled out of the World Cup.
Before that, he was excellent. He scored 10 goals and made 11 assists in 37 games across all competitions, and only Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis DÃaz were more involved in Bayern’s goals. Playing more centrally behind Kane, he found a role that suited him. Bayern went on to win the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, and as beIN Sports reported, he is desperate to get back among the goals this season.
Without him, Germany went out of the World Cup to Paraguay on penalties in the round of 32.
Serge Gnabry 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundesliga | 21 | 8 | 6 | 1,228′ |
| DFB-Pokal | 4 | – | – | 171′ |
| UEFA Champions League | 11 | 2 | 4 | 562′ |
| DFL-Supercup | 1 | – | 1 | 80′ |
| TOTAL | 37 | 10 | 11 | 2,041′ |
2. Antoine Griezmann
- Club: Orlando City SC
- Nationality: France
- Market Value: €8 million
Antoine Griezmann’s final season at Atlético Madrid may have been one of his best. He accepted a smaller role early on, then became Simeone’s go-to playmaker in the spring, playing as a false nine. He finished with 14 goals and 8 assists in 56 games for Atlético, including 5 goals in the Copa del Rey.
Atlético fell just short of a trophy. They lost the Copa del Rey final on penalties and went out in the Champions League semi-finals. His last home game in May was his 500th appearance for the club he left as its all-time top scorer.
In July he joined Orlando City on a free transfer, and at 35 he has looked like the best player in MLS. He scored 14 goals and made 7 assists in his first 18 league games.
Antoine Griezmann 2025/26 Season Stats (Atlético Madrid and Orlando City):
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaLiga | 34 | 7 | 4 | 1,468′ |
| MLS | 18 | 14 | 7 | 1,600′ |
| UEFA Champions League | 15 | 2 | 3 | 871′ |
| Copa del Rey | 6 | 5 | 1 | 498′ |
| Leagues Cup | 3 | 1 | – | 195′ |
| US Open Cup | 1 | – | – | 54′ |
| Supercopa | 1 | – | – | 30′ |
| TOTAL | 78 | 29 | 15 | 4,716′ |
1. João Félix
- Club: Al-Nassr FC
- Nationality: Portugal
- Market Value: €19 million
When João Félix moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2025, plenty of people wrote off his career. A year later he has a league title and the best numbers of his life.
He scored 26 goals and made 19 assists in 47 games, including 20 goals and 14 assists in the Saudi Pro League. Cristiano Ronaldo finished as the club’s top scorer, but Félix led the team in assists and was the player who made their attack work. Al-Nassr won the title for the first time since 2019 after a race against Al-Hilal that went to the final weeks, and Félix spoke afterwards about how much it meant to Ronaldo.
He earned his place in Portugal’s World Cup squad. The competition level in Saudi Arabia is lower than in Europe, and his market value of around €19 million reflects that. But nobody on this list was more productive in 2025/26.
João Félix 2025/26 Season Stats:
| Competition | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total Mins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Pro League | 33 | 20 | 14 | 2,912′ |
| AFC Champions League Two | 10 | 4 | 4 | 595′ |
| King’s Cup | 2 | 1 | 1 | 94′ |
| Saudi Super Cup | 2 | 1 | – | 180′ |
| TOTAL | 47 | 26 | 19 | 3,781′ |
Final Thoughts
This is the most unsettled position in our rankings. Several of last year’s top names moved clubs mid-season, and two of the best performers in 2025/26 now play outside Europe. Félix and Griezmann earned their spots with numbers, Gnabry with quality before injury, and Lookman stays near the top on talent.
Further down, Zaniolo, Glushenkov and Dybala all showed what they can do when things go right. The second striker role rewards intelligence over size, and every player on this list has plenty of that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best second striker in the world in 2027?
João Félix of Al-Nassr. He scored 26 goals, made 19 assists and won the Saudi Pro League in 2025/26.
Where does Antoine Griezmann play now?
He joined Orlando City in MLS on a free transfer in July 2026 after leaving Atlético Madrid as the club’s all-time top scorer.
Why did Ademola Lookman drop from first?
He moved from Atalanta to Atlético Madrid in February and finished with 10 goals and 6 assists, a quieter year than his previous seasons.
Did Serge Gnabry play at the 2026 World Cup?
No. A torn adductor in April ended his season and kept him out of Germany’s squad.
