The three codes that shape the season
Kylian Mbappe has scored 17 goals in 13 matches for Real Madrid and France. Harry Kane has 19 goals in 12 matches for Bayern Munich and the England team. As for Erling Haaland, he has 21 goals in just 12 matches for Manchester City and Norway.
These three super strikers not only play excellently, they also have an incredible performance. Erling Haaland scores every 47 minutes, Kane is 52 minutes and Mbappe is 67 minutes.
That is a speed of goalscoring that has not been seen since the peak of Messi and Ronaldo. All three are currently leading the European Golden Boot race, far surpassing the rest such as Gyokeres, Isak or Lewandowski.
Three different scoring styles
Although they are both modern center forward, the style of the three reflects different tactical schools.
Mbappe was the most involved player in the general play, with 772 touches, far surpassing Kane (445) and Haaland (257). The French striker created 38 chances for his teammates, more than Kane (27) and superior to Haaland (6). In Xabi Alonso's system, Mbappe is not only the spearhead, he is also a "tactical explosive", flexibly combined with surrounding satellites.
In contrast, Haaland is a classic striker - neat, direct and almost "stuck" in the penalty area. He only had 97 accurate passes, much less than Kane (231) and Mbappe (456) but led in taking advantage of opportunities with a 39% conversion rate of shots into goals.
Kane is between those two styles. He maintained his highest finishing efficiency (42%) and played a supporting role with 3 assists and won 12 aerial matches, more than Mbappe (8). At the age of 32, he is perfecting his skills as an organizer.
Harry Kane is a scoring machine
Kane is spending his third season with Bayern Munich and will probably be the most explosive season of his career. After 18 goals in 10 matches, including 11 in the Bundesliga and 4 in the Champions League, he has contributed to nearly half of Bayern's goals.
The England captain has scored two hat-tricks against Hoffenheim and Leipzig, with Augsburg the only team that has not conceded a goal by Kane since the start of the season. If he maintains his current performance, Kane could well break Lewandowski's Bundesliga record of 41 goals/season.
Kylian Mbappe is absolute power at Real Madrid
Mbappe is on the rise in his second season at Real Madrid. He has scored 14 goals in 10 matches, including 3 for the French national team, accounting for more than 50% of Los Blancos' total goals.
In 10 appearances in La Liga and the Champions League, Mbappe has only failed to score once. He scored a hat-trick against Kairat Almaty and scored in every big match.
If he continues to maintain his form, Mbappe could end the season with 42 goals in La Liga, a record only lost to Messi and Ronaldo at his peak. He is aiming for the Golden Boot in La Liga for the second consecutive time, after 6 times in Ligue 1 before that.
In the international arena, Mbappe currently has 53 goals for the French national team, only 4 goals behind Olivier Giroud and will almost certainly become the greatest striker in Les Bleus' history in the next few months.
Erling Haaland is truly a "monster"
While Kane and Mbappe are models of sophistication, Haaland represents the purest instinct of a striker. The Norwegian striker has scored 12 goals in nine games for Man City, and 9 in just three games for the national team, including a repoker against Moldova and a hat-trick against Israel.
Currently, Haaland is leading the scoring list for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Europe with 12 goals despite only playing 6 matches. With this efficiency, he can completely end the season at the threshold of 70 goals for the club and over 100 goals if including the national team.
In the Premier League, Haaland still maintains his dominance. Although he has not yet achieved the explosive form of the first season, this star is still aiming for the mark of 49 goals/season, enough to break the record he once set with 36 goals in 2023.
The race is not just about goals
Haaland, Kane and Mbappe are not only competing for the number of goals, they are also symbols of 3 different understandings of the concept of "all-powerful striker". Mbappe is strong in speed, creativity and tactical flexibility. Kane has shown intelligence, comprehensiveness and always knows how to be a better team member. Meanwhile, Haaland plays instinctively, powerfully and effectively.
The season is still very long, but as each competition week passes, the question "Who is the best striker in the world today?" becomes more attractive than ever when fans look at this trio.
