Ronaldo Nazario Picks the World's Best Striker After Watching the 2026 World Cup

• Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario was asked to settle the debate on the best striker in world football at the 2026 World Cup
• Ronaldo overlooked both Harry Kane and Erling Haaland despite the pair scoring a combined 131 goals in the past season
• The two-time Ballon d'Or winner did praise all three forwards, calling them 'original nines' who remind him of his own playing days

Brazil legend Ronaldo Nazario believes Kylian Mbappe is currently the best striker in world football, overlooking Harry Kane and Erling Haaland despite both enjoying remarkable goalscoring seasons.

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner and World Cup champion is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers in football history after scoring 330 goals during an illustrious career with Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

Ronaldo was in attendance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he watched many of football's biggest stars shine, including Lionel Messi, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland and Mbappe.

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Ronaldo picks Mbappe over Kane and Haaland

Ahead of England's World Cup quarter-final clash with Norway, Ronaldo was asked to name the best striker in the world.

Although Harry Kane and Erling Haaland had both built strong cases after scoring 73 and 58 goals respectively for club and country during the season, Ronaldo chose neither.

Instead, he backed Mbappe, who finished as the tournament's top scorer with 10 goals to claim the Golden Boot despite France ending the competition in fourth place.

The Real Madrid forward also enjoyed another prolific campaign, scoring 42 goals in just 44 appearances across all competitions, keeping himself firmly in contention for the Ballon d'Or despite ending the season without a major trophy.

"I think Mbappe is doing amazing and he's still very young," Ronaldo said. "He's playing with the number 10, but he's a number nine."

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Despite selecting Mbappe as his top striker, Ronaldo praised both Kane and Haaland for keeping the traditional No. 9 role alive.

"I'm so happy to see players like them doing well with my characteristics of when I played," he said. "Years ago, we were talking about how we miss number nines. No, we have three like this. It's good for everyone."

Speaking specifically about Kane and Haaland before their World Cup meeting, Ronaldo added:

"I'm so happy to see Harry Kane and Haaland. Number nines, original nines. I'm so happy to see them doing well."

Source: YEN.com.gh