Franz Beckenbauer vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Sweeper / Centre-Back, Germany (born 1945, retired 1983) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
Line up Franz Beckenbauer next to Park Ji-sung and the contrasts come quickly. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. The raw numbers read 81 goals in 776 outings for Franz Beckenbauer (0.10/game), versus 60 in 550 for Park Ji-sung (0.11/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Franz Beckenbauer is listed at 0 and Park Ji-sung at 60 where figures survive. Franz Beckenbauer departs the game with 16 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1974); Park Ji-sung with 5, including 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011). Franz Beckenbauer built his medal haul through years of anticipatory consistency, while Park Ji-sung won his with silky bursts of brilliance. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Franz Beckenbauer's landmark level arrived around 1974 with a career spanning Bayern Munich, Hamburg, New York Cosmos; Park Ji-sung's came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
180 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
German defender who revolutionised the sweeper role; the only man to win the World Cup as both captain (1974) and manager (1990).
“A graceful attacking sweeper who reinvented the libero role with composure and peerless reading of the game.”
The first Asian player to win the Champions League and reach a World Cup semi-final, Park was renowned for his tireless work rate and big-game performances for Manchester United.
“A relentless, selfless box-to-box midfielder whose stamina and tactical discipline made him invaluable in the biggest matches.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 1× FIFA World Cup (1974)
- 1× UEFA European Championship (1972)
- 3× European Cup (1974, 1975, 1976)
- 5× Bundesliga (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1982)
- 4× DFB-Pokal
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1967)
- 1× Intercontinental Cup (1976)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1964 Bayern Munich senior debut
- 1966 Won the DFB-Pokal, his first major trophy
- 1972 Euro winner with West Germany
- 1974 World Cup winner as captain in Munich
- 1976 Third consecutive European Cup with Bayern
- 1977 Joined New York Cosmos
- 1983 Came out of retirement to play for Hamburg
- 2000 Professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga
- 2007 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 2008 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 2008 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Queens Park Rangers
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Franz Beckenbauer takes it by a decisive margin.
Franz Beckenbauer edges it (a decisive margin)
