Harry Kane Emerges As World’s Best Striker, Says Lautaro Martínez

Inter captain Lautaro Martinez has described Harry Kane as the best striker in the world, while both players enjoy standout 2025-26 seasons. Kane leads Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title and a record-breaking attack. Martinez drives Inter towards a domestic double and matches personal scoring highs in Serie A and across all competitions.

Martinez explained the choice when speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport. When asked who the best striker is, Martinez replied: "Harry Kane. I even put him ahead of Haaland for the way he controls the ball, the way he links up and reads the game, and his headers. A phenomenon."

Kane’s contribution underlines Martinez’s view. Bayern Munich win the 2025-26 Bundesliga while scoring 122 league goals, which sets a new competition record. Kane supplies 36 of those goals. The England captain finishes 17 goals clear of Deniz Undav, who ends with 19, marking the widest Golden Boot winning gap in 54 years.

The last comparable gap comes in 1971-72, when Gerd Muller scores 40 league goals and both Klaus Fischer and Hans Walitza hit 22. Across all competitions this season, not counting the Club World Cup, Kane has 58 goals in 50 games, the highest total among players in Europe’s top five leagues.

While praising Kane, Martinez also delivers strong numbers. Across all competitions in 2025-26, Martinez scores 22 goals in 40 matches. In Serie A, Martinez leads the scoring charts with 17 goals. Those strikes underpin Inter’s run to a domestic double, their first such achievement since the 2010 campaign.

Debate around Inter’s current level grows after comments from former coach Jose Mourinho, who states that none of the present squad would start in the treble-winning team. Martinez chooses not to dwell on that verdict, saying: "Everyone has their own ideas. It doesnt make much sense to me to compare footballers from different eras. The important thing is to think about the good of Inter without listening too much to the chatter. You have to live in the present, which is a lot."

Martinez’s praise places Kane at the centre of discussion over the leading modern striker, supported by Bayern Munich’s record attack and individual scoring dominance. At the same time, Martinez’s own numbers and Inter’s domestic double reinforce the forward’s influence in Serie A and show why opinions differ across eras and competitions.