The hard player: Papiss Cissé
Born on 3 June 1985 in Dakar, Papiss Cissé is a centre-forward who built his reputation brick by brick, far from the spotlight. He made his European breakthrough at FC Metz (37 goals in 104 games) before truly exploding at SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga, where he scored 39 goals in 67 appearances – a ratio that speaks for itself.
Newcastle United gave him a Premier League stage and he made the most of it: 44 goals in 131 games in a Magpies shirt. His nomadic career then took him to China with Shandong Luneng (18 goals in 34 games) and Turkey with Alanyaspor, where he finished like a cannonball with 42 goals in 65 matches. For Senegal, he scored 17 goals in 36 caps. A discreet profile, clinical everywhere, and recognised by only 41% of players.
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PlayThe medium player: Emmanuel Adebayor
Born on 26 February 1984 in Lomé, Emmanuel Adebayor built his career across France and England’s biggest stages. A natural centre-forward, he came through FC Metz (19 goals in 53 games) and AS Monaco (26 goals in 115 games) before making his mark in the Premier League. It was at Arsenal where he hit his peak, scoring 62 goals in 142 appearances in Gunners colours.
Tottenham Hotspur added another English chapter to his story with 24 goals in 76 games, before a final act at Istanbul Başakşehir where he contributed 28 goals in 76 matches. For the national team, he carried Togo on his shoulders for years: 32 goals in 88 caps made him the attacking symbol of the Hawks.
The easy player: Memphis Depay
Born on 13 February 1994 in Moordrecht, Netherlands, Memphis Depay established himself as one of the most prolific Dutch attackers of his generation. A versatile forward, he can operate as a centre-forward or a left winger. It was at PSV Eindhoven that he sharpened his teeth, scoring 50 goals in 124 appearances before catching the eye of clubs across Europe.
After a difficult spell at Manchester United (7 goals in 53 games), he relaunched his career brilliantly at Olympique Lyonnais, where he truly exploded: 76 goals in 178 matches made him a benchmark in Ligue 1. A stint at FC Barcelona (14 goals in 42 games) and a Brazilian adventure at SC Corinthians (20 goals in 76 games) rounded off a borderless career. At international level, he scored 7 goals in 14 appearances for the Netherlands U17 side.