Summary

  • 32 European strikers were shortlisted

  • A random draw pitted them head-to-head, for you to ultimately pick your winner

  • Ronaldo beat Henry in final

  • Villa and Rooney out in quarters

  • Mbappe and Shearer knocked out in last 16

  • Kane, Bale and Owen were first-round casualties

  • Get involved via #besteurostriker

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance and Emma Sanders

  1. Match 14

    Karim Benzema v Dimitar Berbatov

    If it's possible to be one of the best 32 strikers in Europe this century and still be underrated, then that could be Karim Benzema. He's up against the man with the velvet slipper of a first touch.

    Karim BenzemaPA Media

    Karim Benzema has been at Real Madrid since 2009, which is really some going. He's won the Champions League four times and is close to 250 goals for the club.

    And plenty of people still debate whether he's good enough to lead the line for them.

    League goals: 205

    Champions League goals: 64

    Dimitar BerbatovPA Media

    Dimitar Berbatov played football like it was something he did while mulling over what wine would go best with that night's Dover sole. And that is in no way a bad thing.

    Yes, at times he looked like he couldn't be bothered but what a touch he had. At Tottenham alongside Robbie Keane he was often a dream to watch and for a brief spell at Manchester United he regularly conjured magic.

    The sort of player you'd pay to watch.

    League goals: 176

    Champions League goals: 13

  2. How many league goals?

    When we mention league goals here - that's goals scored in Europe's top five leagues (Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga).

  3. Match 13

    Luca Toni v Robin van Persie

    Another of the life-affirming late bloomers up against a man destined for greatness from an early age. Tough one to call.

    Luca ToniPA Media

    Luca Toni must have thought his shot at the big time would never come when he was dogging around at the likes of Lodigiani in Serie C. But his knack for a goal would be rewarded late - and the numbers were huge.

    He scored 50 in 80 games for Palermo, 47 in 67 for Fiorentina and another 38 in 60 for Bayern Munich. Then, in an unexpected even-later flourish, he was top scorer again in Serie A at the age of 38.

    He also won the World Cup, and he had a great celebration.

    League goals: 195

    Champions League goals: 3

    Robin van PersiePA Media

    Robin van Persie was a skinny one-footed winger when he rocked up at Arsenal in 2004. He would go on to become one of the continent's most feared marksmen and played a huge part in Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement gift of yet another title.

    Scored not only a lot of goals but a lot of great goals.

    League goals: 144

    Champions League goals: 25

  4. The draw

    Henry v TrezeguetPA Media

    Someone is going out in the first round...

    The draw was made - remotely of course - earlier this week. Here's who's up against who:

    Match 1: Kylian Mbappe v Harry Kane

    Match 2: Gareth Bale v Alessandro del Piero

    Macth 3: David Villa v Romelu Lukaku

    Match 4: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar v Diego Costa

    Match 5: Antonio di Natale v Edin Dzeko

    Match 6: Thierry Henry v David Trezeguet

    Match 7: Zlatan Ibrahimovic v Andriy Shevchenko

    Match 8: Alan Shearer v Thomas Muller

    Match 9: Wayne Rooney v Michael Owen

    Match 10: Henrik Larsson v Mario Mandzukic

    Match 11: Patrick Kluivert v Francesco Totti

    Match 12: Cristiano Ronaldo v Ruud van Nistelrooy

    Match 13: Luca Toni v Robin van Persie

    Match 14: Karim Benzema v Dimitar Berbatov

    Match 15: Miroslav Klose v Robert Lewandowski

    Match 16: Raul v Fernando Torres

    I'll be talking you through each match-up but if you want to dive in and have your vote you can here.

  5. How can you vote?

    Vote

    Click HERE.

    You have until 10:30 BST to vote. Results will be announced around 11:00 BST and then we'll be down to the last 16.

  6. Match 12

    Cristiano Ronaldo v Ruud van Nistelrooy

    Ruud, you've got a bad draw here. Real bad beat.

    Ronaldo scores 'sensational' free-kick to complete hat-trick

    Cristiano Ronaldo - an absolute machine. His numbers don't make sense. He scored his 700th career goal last year and he's still going. SEVEN HUNDRED!

    Eighty more goals in the Champions League than Andriy Shevchenko - who scored a lot. As many as Benzema and Lewandowski added up together. Ridiculous.

    League goals: 437

    Champions League goals: 128

    Ruud van nistelrooyPA Media

    Ruud van Nistelrooy was a really, really good striker. Brilliant in fact. One of the best in the penalty area the Premier League has seen. He's not getting through against Ronaldo though is he?

    League goals: 157

    Champions League goals: 56

  7. Get Involved

    #besteurostriker or text us on 81111 (UK Only)

    Someone buy you lot an atlas for Christmas.

    EUROPE. Strikers from EUROPE. It's the big bit between Ireland and Russia.

    Nic O'Brien: Where is Sergio Aguero?

    No Messi but we have Bale?

    Anonymous

  8. Match 11

    Patrick Kluivert v Francesco Totti

    Two giants of the late 1990s/early 2000s, very different in stature...

    Patrick KluivertPA Media

    Patrick Kluivert scored the winner in a Champions League final before his 19th birthday. That's quite the way to start your career.

    He never found his best form at Newcastle but was absolutely brilliant for Ajax and for Barcelona, and scored in a World Cup semi-final. A proper player.

    League goals: 106

    Champions League goals: 29

    Francesco TottiPA Media

    Francesco Totti - a true one-club man, the Italian Le Tissier if you like. He played for Roma for a ridiculous 24 years and is the oldest man to score in the Champions League, at a shade over 38.

    Much like Le Tiss actually he was underused by his nation - and only scored nine goals for Italy. Won the World Cup though.

    League goals: 188

    Champions League goals: 20

  9. Thomas Muller got a bad draw for this vote, but Klose v Lewandowski should be pretty close I would have thought...

  10. Get Involved

    #besteurostriker or text us on 81111 (UK Only)

    Anife Faria: There are only 2 German players in the list and both likely to be knocked out. Still what would you rather have individual great players or all the international and Champions leagues trophies their teams/players have?? I know what I'm choosing!!!

  11. How can you vote?

    Vote

    Click HERE.

    You have until 10:30 BST to vote. Results will be announced around 11:00 BST and then we'll be down to the last 16.

  12. Match 10

    Henrik Larsson v Mario Mandzukic

    One of Celtic's finest ever players, up against a man who scored in a World Cup and Champions League final.

    Two Champions League finals actually...

    From the archive: Classic Old Firm derby from 2002

    Henrik Larsson cost Celtic £650k in 1997. Has there even been a case of money better spent in football?

    What a signing, and what a player. Should he have left the club earlier than he did? His Champions League goal tally suggests so. But he still found time to come on and help Barcelona win the thing.

    Also provided one of the finest ever moments on Pointless...

    League goals: 14 (remember, this is only in the top five leagues. Don't @ me. He scored 174 SPL goals for Celtic!)

    Champions League goals: 7

    Henrik Larsson answer wins Pointless

    Mario Mandzukic was another late bloomer, blossoming from a targetman to a clever striker who could even play on the left. Scored a brilliant scissor kick in the Champions League final in Cardiff and was gifted this one in the World Cup final...

    League goals: 96

    Champions League goals: 21

    World Cup 2018: Howler from France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris gives Croatia lifeline

  13. Get Involved

    #besteurostriker or text us on 81111 (UK Only)

    Harry KanePA Media

    That Harry Kane goal against Arsenal '16. Still gives me shivers

    Luke from Exeter

  14. Match 9

    Wayne Rooney v Michael Owen

    It's an all-England match up! The record goalscorer for the Three Lions v the man in fifth. The man who collects guitars but doesn't play v the man who has never drunk a cup of tea.

    Tough call.

    Wayne Rooney: Five best Premier League goals for Manchester United and Everton

    Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene at the age of just 16 with an incredible goal against Arsenal and is still going strong for Derby some 18 years on.

    The only man to score 50 times for England

    League goals: 208

    Champions League goals: 30

    Argentina v England: Michael Owen scores wonder goal

    Michael Owen's career may have tailed off alarmingly as injury hampered his game-changing pace, but we shouldn't forget just how good he was at his peak.

    A Ballon d'Or winner, no less, Owen scored his 40th and final England goal at the age of 27. A wonderful talent.

    League goals: 163

    Champions League goals: 11

  15. The draw

    Henry v TrezeguetPA Media

    Someone is going out in the first round...

    The draw was made - remotely of course - earlier this week. Here's who's up against who:

    Match 1: Kylian Mbappe v Harry Kane

    Match 2: Gareth Bale v Alessandro del Piero

    Macth 3: David Villa v Romelu Lukaku

    Match 4: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar v Diego Costa

    Match 5: Antonio di Natale v Edin Dzeko

    Match 6: Thierry Henry v David Trezeguet

    Match 7: Zlatan Ibrahimovic v Andriy Shevchenko

    Match 8: Alan Shearer v Thomas Muller

    Match 9: Wayne Rooney v Michael Owen

    Match 10: Henrik Larsson v Mario Mandzukic

    Match 11: Patrick Kluivert v Francesco Totti

    Match 12: Cristiano Ronaldo v Ruud van Nistelrooy

    Match 13: Luca Toni v Robin van Persie

    Match 14: Karim Benzema v Dimitar Berbatov

    Match 15: Miroslav Klose v Robert Lewandowski

    Match 16: Raul v Fernando Torres

    I'll be talking you through each match-up but if you want to dive in and have your vote you can here.

  16. How can you vote?

    Vote

    The vote is live, all 16 first round ties are on a separate page - HERE.

    You have until 10:30 BST to vote. Results will be announced around 11:00 BST and then we'll be down to the last 16.

  17. Match 8

    Alan Shearer v Thomas Muller

    The Premier League's all-time goalscorer v a Bayern hero...

    Alan ShearerPA Media

    Alan Shearer IS goals. Great in the air, strong as an ox with a cannon of a right foot, close your eyes and imagine a Premier League goal and it's probably him scoring it - right?

    You may not be old enough to remember him in his pomp for Blackburn and Newcastle but trust me, he was out of this world. He scored so many goals - just think how often Sergio Aguero scores, well Shearer has 80 more goals than that in the Premier League alone!

    He crushed Euro 96 as well.

    League goals: 260

    Champions League goals: 7

    Thomas MullerPA Media

    Thomas Muller is a very hard player to categorise, isn't he? He's not a striker, not a winger, not a midfielder, and he doesn't really play in the hole. He just plays. And does it brilliantly.

    This season alone he's been fantastic in the Bundesliga, matching Jadon Sancho assist for assist. Never mind his near 200 career goals for Bayern.

    He also has scored 10 goals at the World Cup. Elite.

    League goals: 117

    Champions League goals: 44

  18. How many league goals?

    When we mention league goals here - that's goals scored in Europe's top five leagues (Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga).

  19. Get Involved

    #besteurostriker or text us on 81111 (UK Only)

    Simon Godfrey: Ibrahimovic v Shevchenko was a brutal choice to have to make this early in the morning. #besteurostriker I went with Ibra.

  20. Match 7

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic v Andriy Shevchenko

    Two men who scored shedloads of goals in Europe before finally coming to the Premier League...

    This YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on YouTube
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.
    Skip youtube video

    Allow YouTube content?

    This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a big mouth, a big opinion of himself and also a very big collection of goals. Just look at that amount of strikes...

    He's never won the Champions League, or taken Sweden deep into a tournament. But the blots on his copybook are pretty few and far between.

    League goals: 271

    Champions League goals: 48

    Andriy ShevchenkoGetty Images

    Andriy Shevchenko came to Chelsea in the summer of 2006 with a huge price tag and reputation after a decade of being brilliant for Dynamo Kiev and then AC Milan.

    It never really happened for him in London, as he scored just nine times in the Premier League. Still - what a career.

    League goals: 136

    Champions League goals: 48