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Fastest Football Strikers In The World Kylian Mbappé —38.0 km/h; 2. Loïs Openda — 36.8 km/h; 3. Ousmane Dembélé — 36.6km/
Speed is one of the deadliest weapons a striker can have. A quick burst can break a tight defensive line, turn a counterattack into a goal, or create space for teammates.
In this article, we rank the top 10 fastest football strikers in world. For each player, we mention the highest confirmed speed, and how that pace influences their style.
You’ll find each player’s recorded top speed, why their speed matters for their style, and quick examples of how they use it in matches.
Íñaki Williams is known for his electric pace, and he’s no stranger to big sprints on the pitch. According to Squawka, he recorded a top speed of 34.37 km/h while playing in La Liga.
In a particularly memorable moment, during a match against Sevilla, his acceleration in the 84th minute was described as “incredible”, even late in the game, he showed the sort of burst that defenders really struggle to handle.
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Højlund is a young centre-forward with real pace. Club and league stats have shown him hitting mid-35 km/h marks in matches.
His highest recorded speed was noted in his early games for Man Utd (Arsenal match).
He uses his speed to stretch space and run at defenders, very useful in direct attacking systems and on fast transitions.
Solanke surprised many by clocking a very high top speed in Premier League play (reported ~36.10 km/h in one match).
He’s a striker who blends good positioning with the ability to sprint past defenders when the chance opens. That match-top reading put him among the fastest forwards in England that season.
Osimhen combines pace with timing inside the box. Official club and competition stats put his match top speed in the low-to-mid 30s km/h range, but he’s notable for repeated sprints and for breaking the 35 km/h barrier on multiple occasions across seasons.
His speed helps him get behind defenders and into finishing positions.
Rashford is often used as a forward who drifts wide, but he has recorded very high top speeds in league tracking.
Those bursts are dangerous on transitions — he can carry the ball from his own half and finish in the box.
Reports of his top-end marks place him among the quicker forwards. Rashford hit 36.32 km/h during a Premier League match against Crystal Palace.
Núñez has reached reported peaks near 36.5 km/h in the past. He mixes speed with direct running and strength; when he turns defenders he can go from 0 to high speed in a few strides.
He recorded at ~36.5 km/h in the Premier League opener against Fulham. That makes him lethal on counters and long through-balls.
Haaland is a big striker who also surprises defenders with bursts of speed. League and competition data have him around the mid-30s in km/h, with reported peaks in the mid-30s depending on the match and tracking system.
For Haaland, speed pairs with power, he outruns markers and still finishes under pressure.
Ousmane Dembélé is one of the fastest attackers in the modern game. In the 2022–23 Champions League, he was recorded at a top speed of around 36.6 km/h, tying with some of the fastest players in the competition.
Even though he plays mostly as a winger, not a traditional centre-striker, his pace is a critical part of his game.
During high-speed breaks, Dembélé uses his acceleration to surge past defenders, while his agility lets him change direction quickly. This makes him deadly in transition.
Openda is a proper striker whose game lives off running in behind. Bundesliga tracking showed him touching about 36.86 km/h in a match, one of the fastest recorded in Europe.
He uses that pace to stretch defences and finish quick counters. If your team sits high, his speed is a real headache.
Mbappé is still the gold standard for raw top speed among forwards. He’s hit peaks reported around 38 km/h in big matches.
That 38 km/h was recorded in a Ligue 1 match vs AS Monaco, that kind of pace makes him lethal on open counters and when running behind defensive lines.
His speed is not just top-end: it’s the quick first steps and ability to keep high velocity with the ball that make him special.