While goalkeepers, defenders, and midfielders tend to need to get copious amounts of experience to reach the upper-echelons of their position, more players simply take to being a striker instantly, with some of the best young strikers in the sport already being among the best in the world.
This is why the best young strikers in Career Mode are so appealing to FIFA 22 gamers, with the young strikers and centre forwards that have the highest overall ratings often featuring tremendous speed and finishing. Here, we’re going through the very best of the bunch.
Choosing FIFA 22 Career Mode’s best young strikers (ST & CF)
Featuring the likes of Erling Haaland, Victor Osimhen, and, of course, Kylian Mbappé, FIFA 22’s best young strikers have superb overall ratings now, and many of them have hefty potential ratings for the future.
Here, the best young ST and CF players are sorted by their overall ratings, needing to be 23-years-old or younger as well as have one of the two striking positions listed as their preferred role.
At the foot of the page, you’ll find the full list of all of the best young strikers (ST and CF) in FIFA 22.
Kylian Mbappé (91 OVR – 95 POT)
Team: Paris Saint-Germain
Age: 22
Wage: £195,000
Value: £166.5 million
Best Attributes: 97 Acceleration, 97 Sprint Speed, 93 Finishing
It won’t come as a surprise that the cover star, Kylian Mbappé, is the best young striker in FIFA 22, coming in with an absurd 91 overall rating at the age of 22.
The French superstar already ranks as one of the best players in the game, but his massive 95 potential puts him atop even Lionel Messi – and by a good couple of points. The speedster can best any defender with his 97 acceleration and 97 sprint speed, while his 93 finishing finishes the job.
Mbappé is in the last year of his contract, and even though Real Madrid offered over £130 million for the want-away forward, Paris Saint-Germain were unmoved. Despite this, few could say that the Parisian hasn’t pulled his weight, scoring four and setting up another four in the first nine games of the season.
Erling Haaland (88 OVR – 93 POT)
Team: Borussia Dortmund
Age: 20
Wage: £94,000
Value: £118 million
Best Attributes: 94 Sprint Speed, 94 Shot Power, 94 Finishing
It’s certainly not a bad thing to come second to Mbappé in this list of the best young strikers to sign in Career Mode, especially if you have an 88 overall rating as Erling Haaland does.
Standing 6’4’’ with strength (93) and shot power (94) ratings to match, Haaland’s a menacing striker in FIFA 22 who’s capable of out-muscling centre backs and firing pin-point shots past the goalie. That said, he doesn’t need to be in the box to score, with his 87 long shots making the Norwegian a threat from over 18 yards as well.
For Red Bull Salzburg, Haaland netted over one goal per game, scoring 29 in 27. For his current club, Borussia Dortmund, he continues to score more goals than he plays 90 minutes, with 68 by his 67th appearance. It seems unlikely that it’ll be too long before one of the continent’s elite pay what might be a record fee to acquire Haaland. That said, he’s contracted for another three seasons.
Lautaro MartÃnez (85 OVR – 89 POT)
Team: Inter Milan
Age: 23
Wage: £125,000
Value: £67.5 million
Best Attributes: 89 Balance, 89 Reactions, 88 Jumping
Coming into FIFA 22 with an 85 overall rating, which makes him one of the best young ST players in Career Mode, Lautaro MartÃnez offers a rather different build to the others.
The Argentine certainly isn’t lacking for pace with his 86 acceleration, 83 sprint speed, and 86 agility, but his strengths are in his overall athleticism and even as an aerial threat. The 5’9’’ ST boasts 89 reactions, 88 jumping, 87 heading accuracy, 84 strength, and 86 positioning, which make him a menace in the box.
Often playing alongside Romelu Lukaku up top last season, MartÃnez was somewhat of a complementary piece, left open by defences that tried to stop the mighty Belgian. Now, with a new but not as headline-grabbing big man with him, Edin Džeko, the young player is the star of the attack for a new-look Inter Milan.
João Félix (83 OVR – 91 POT)
Team: Atlético Madrid
Age: 21
Wage: £52,000
Value: £70.5 million
Best Attributes: 87 Ball Control, 86 Agility, 86 Dribbling
Ranking as the top CF wonderkid in Career Mode, João Félix also comes in as the best young CF in FIFA 22 by virtue of his positional bias and 83 overall rating.
With five-star skill moves, 87 ball control, 86 dribbling, 86 agility, 84 composure, and 84 positioning, it’s clear that Félix’s strengths are in picking up the ball and carrying it towards the goal. His finishing (89) and short passing (80) need some development, but the Portuguese forward is still a very exciting and skilful young player.
Much as he has been for his national team, Félix is mostly being eased into the starting XI in LaLiga for Atlético Madrid. That said, in the Champions League last season, manager Diego Simeone opted to play him in all but 12 minutes of their run to a last-16 knockout to the eventual winners.
Alexander Isak (82 OVR – 86 POT)
Team: Real Sociedad
Age: 21
Wage: £32,000
Value: £38.5 million
Best Attributes: 86 Attack Positioning, 85 Sprint Speed, 84 Volleys
Adding another tall striker to the ranks of the best young STs in FIFA 22 is Alexander Isak, who combines height, athleticism, and finishing ability in a way that’s vaguely reminiscent of a certain superstar Swedish striker.
Born in Solna, Isak stands 6’4’’ and boasts 83 finishing, 84 volleys, 85 sprint speed, 86 attack positioning, 81 reactions, and a five-star weak foot. The young player is invariably in the best position to receive the ball, and thanks to those ratings, he can just as easily dispatch of one-timers that arrive along the ground or in the air.
Throughout his still very young career, Isak hasn’t struggled to find the back of the net. In his first season with Real Sociedad, he scored 16 goals in all 45 games, improving on that tally with 17 goals in 34 LaLiga contests last season.
Victor Osimhen (80 OVR – 87 POT)
Team: SSC Napoli
Age: 22
Wage: £57,000
Value: £37 million
Best Attributes: 92 Sprint Speed, 88 Jumping, 85 Finishing
Making his claim among the best young strikers in FIFA 22 with an 80 overall rating is Victor Osimhen, who, at 22-years-old, already features some incredibly user-friendly attribute ratings.
The main appeal of signing Osimhen in Career Mode is tapping into that hefty 87 potential rating. However, even before he reaches those heights, the Nigerian striker will be of tremendous use thanks to his 92 sprint speed, 88 jumping, 85 finishing, 84 acceleration, and 78 heading accuracy.
After a £63 million move from LOSC Lille to SSC Napoli, the Lagos-native was thrust into the starting XI. He performed well out of the gate, grabbing a couple of goals and an assist in six games, but then a shoulder injury cut a huge chunk out of the season. He ended with ten goals in 30 games, but started this campaign with six in six.
Donyell Malen (80 OVR – 85 POT)
Team: Borussia Dortmund
Age: 22
Wage: £51,000
Value: £28 million
Best Attributes: 90 Acceleration, 90 Sprint Speed, 84 Agility
Concluding the top-tier of the best young strikers in FIFA 22 with at least an 80 overall rating, Donyell Malen will likely have more appeal than some of those above because of his speed ratings.
While Haaland certainly isn’t a slouch, the addition of Malen gives BVB – or your team, should you sign him in Career Mode – that instant-pace speedster who can quickly cut through defences on the break. The Dutchman’s 90 acceleration and 90 sprint speed make him the perfect option to feed when counter-attacking.
Having arrived at Signal Iduna Park this summer from PSV Eindhoven, where he scored 55 goals and 24 assists in 116 games, Malen was put to work right away. Playing either on the left wing or alongside Haaland up top, the young player didn’t find the back of the net through his first nine games in Germany.
All of the best young strikers (ST & CF) in FIFA 22 Career Mode
In the table below, you’ll find all of the best ST and CF youngsters in FIFA 22, with the selections being sorted by their overall rating.
Name | Overall | Potential | Position | Age | Team | Value | Wage |
Kylian Mbappé | 91 | 95 | ST, LW | 22 | Paris Saint-Germain | £166.5 million | £195,000 |
Erling Haaland | 88 | 93 | ST | 20 | Borussia Dortmund | £118 million | £94,000 |
Lautaro MartÃnez | 85 | 89 | ST | 23 | Inter | £67.5 million | £125,000 |
João Félix | 83 | 91 | CF, ST | 21 | Atlético Madrid | £70.5 million | £52,000 |
Alexander Isak | 82 | 86 | ST | 21 | Real Sociedad | £38.5 million | £32,000 |
Victor Osimhen | 80 | 87 | ST | 22 | Napoli | £37 million | £57,000 |
Donyell Malen | 80 | 85 | ST | 22 | Borussia Dortmund | £28 million | £51,000 |
Luka Jović | 79 | 84 | ST | 23 | Real Madrid | £23.2 million | £112,000 |
Kasper Dolberg | 79 | 83 | ST | 23 | OGC Nice | £21.9 million | £32,000 |
Dušan Vlahović | 78 | 85 | ST | 21 | Fiorentina | £24.9 million | £37,000 |
Jonathan David | 78 | 86 | ST | 21 | LOSC Lille | £27.5 million | £27,000 |
Amine Gouiri | 78 | 85 | ST, LM | 21 | OGC Nice | £24.9 million | £25,000 |
Tammy Abraham | 78 | 86 | ST | 23 | Roma | £27.1 million | £42,000 |
Arthur Cabral | 77 | 85 | ST | 23 | FC Basel 1893 | £20.2 million | £14,000 |
Luis Javier Suárez | 77 | 86 | ST, LM, CAM | 23 | Granada CF | £20.2 million | £20,000 |
Patson Daka | 77 | 84 | ST | 22 | Leicester City | £18.5 million | £67,000 |
Nicolás González | 77 | 83 | ST, LW | 23 | Fiorentina | £14.6 million | £40,000 |
Saša Kalajdžić | 77 | 82 | ST | 23 | VfB Stuttgart | £13.8 million | £23,000 |
Darwin Núñez | 76 | 85 | ST | 22 | SL Benfica | £14.6 million | £11,000 |
Adam Hložek | 76 | 87 | ST, LM, RM | 18 | Sparta Praha | £13.8 million | £430 |
Myron Boadu | 76 | 85 | ST | 20 | AS Monaco | £14.2 million | £31,000 |
Mërgim Berisha | 75 | 80 | ST | 23 | Fenerbahçe SK | £7.3 million | £34,000 |
Juan Camilo Hernández | 75 | 81 | ST, RM, LM | 22 | Watford | £7.7 million | £38,000 |
Odsonne Édouard | 75 | 83 | ST | 23 | Crystal Palace | £10.8 million | £38,000 |
Tiago Tomás | 74 | 82 | ST | 19 | Sporting CP | £7.7 million | £7,000 |
Terem Moffi | 74 | 82 | ST | 22 | FC Lorient | £8.2 million | £15,000 |
Mostafa Mohamed | 74 | 81 | ST | 23 | Galatasaray SK | £7.3 million | £36,000 |
Federico Viñas | 74 | 81 | ST | 23 | Club América | £7.3 million | £31,000 |
Giacomo Raspadori | 74 | 88 | ST | 21 | Sassuolo | £9 million | £19,000 |
Kang-in Lee | 74 | 82 | ST, CAM, RM | 20 | RCD Mallorca | £8.2 million | £15,000 |
Timothy Weah | 74 | 81 | ST, RM | 21 | LOSC Lille | £7.3 million | £21,000 |
Abel Ruiz | 74 | 83 | ST | 21 | SC Braga | £8.2 million | £9,000 |
Ermedin Demirović | 74 | 81 | ST | 23 | SC Freiburg | £7.3 million | £20,000 |
Randal Kolo Muani | 74 | 82 | ST, RW, LW | 22 | FC Nantes | £8.2 million | £18,000 |
Edward Nketiah | 74 | 81 | ST | 22 | Arsenal | £7.3 million | £48,000 |
Fedor Chalov | 74 | 80 | ST | 23 | PFC CSKA Moscow | £5.6 million | £29,000 |
Lukas Nmecha | 74 | 81 | ST | 22 | VfL Wolfsburg | £7.3 million | £37,000 |
Gianluca Scamacca | 74 | 84 | ST | 22 | Sassuolo | £8.2 million | £22,000 |
Ianis Hagi | 74 | 82 | CF | 22 | Rangers FC | £8.2 million | £35,000 |
Now that you know the best young strikers to sign in Career Mode, you can go and splash your club’s cash on one of the most exciting players in FIFA 22.
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