From Ferenc Puskas and Eusebio to Romario and Marco van Basten, throughout most of the history of football, centre-forwards and strikers have been the most celebrated players within the sport.
That has changed over the last 10-15 years, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo becoming the best and the most prolific soccer players on the planet whilst not playing as centre-forwards.
Their rise is part of a broader trend though, and a longer term decline - so in this video, HITC Sevens takes a look at why strikers are dying out and whether they will eventually become extinct.
