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#3 Roberto Firmino | Liverpool
While the Brazilian struggled in the 2020-21 season, few can argue against the effectiveness of Roberto Firmino as a false 9 for Liverpool. The Brazilian was the focal point as the Reds won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.
Firmino's game has never been about numbers under Jurgen Klopp's management. The 29-year-old has been crucial to the success in front of goal enjoyed by Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in recent years. Firmino's defensive awareness as a false 9 in addition to his stamina and ability to track back has driven Liverpool's forays forward from the back.
Additionally, he has also shown a knack for nicking a goal every now and then, particularly in away fixtures, and has brought the typical Brazilian flair from his homeland to the Premier League.
Under Klopp, Firmino has managed 87 goals and 69 assists in 285 matches. This is a very respectable record as he averages over 0.5 goal contributions every 90 minutes without playing as a rigid forward.
#2 Johan Cruyff | AFC Ajax
One of the pioneers of the modern iteration of football, Johan Cruyff was a constant supporter of fluidity within football. The Dutch legend was particularly prolific as a false 9 under Rinus Michels at Ajax during the 1970s.
Michels often played a complex 1-3-3-3 formation that focused on eliminating positional rigidity. His teams attacked and defended as a unit, while building up play from central defense and progressively moving forward with both width and depth. Under his tutelage, Cruyff managed outstanding numbers. He scored 171 goals in 290 matches in addition to recording 80 assists.
The two also won several trophies together. Ajax secured a European Cup, four Eredivisie titles and three KNVB Cups under Michels with Cruyff putting in one brilliant performance after the other.
#1 Lionel Messi | Barcelona
Easily the greatest example of the sheer brilliance of the false 9 position, Lionel Messi absolutely thrived while playing in this position for Barcelona. The diminutive Argentine recorded incredible numbers during Pep Guardiola's reign in the dugout before turning the clock back under Luis Enrique as well.
Under Guardiola, Messi managed a barely believable 221 goals in just 219 matches. He also recorded 91 assists for his teammates to round off a tremendous, trophy-laden four years. Messi's numbers are particularly impressive as he reinvented the false 9 into a goalscoring position for arguably the first time since Johan Cruyff managed the same under Rinus Michels.
Post Guardiola's exit, Messi transformed into a full-blown goalscorer during the 2012-13 season under Tito Vilanova. Barcelona suffered a dip in the 2013-14 campaign under Tata Martino, who used Messi in a variety of positions without much success due to injury problems. However, Luis Enrique's arrival in 2014 signaled a return to the older system with some minor tweaks.
Messi initially struggled to work with Luis Suarez and Neymar upfront. But Enrique decided to deploy the Argentine on the right-wing with Suarez as the striker. The change paid rich dividends as the trio found their footing alongside each other and led Barcelona to the coveted treble. Under Enrique, Messi managed a fantastic 153 goals in 158 matches while also registering 76 assists.
