Gianluigi Buffon vs Mario Kempes: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023) · Striker, Argentina (born 1954, retired 1996)
Gianluigi Buffon and Mario Kempes represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. Career output puts Gianluigi Buffon at 1 goals in 1147 games, with Mario Kempes at 350 in 600. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Gianluigi Buffon departs the game with 15 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2006); Mario Kempes with 3, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1978). Stylistically Gianluigi Buffon was commanding where Mario Kempes was mercurial — two vocabularies of the same sport. The wider career context matters too: Gianluigi Buffon peaked around 2006 after representing Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Parma, while Mario Kempes's defining level came around 1978 across Rosario Central, Valencia CF, River Plate, Valencia CF, Hércules CF, Austria Vienna. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
166 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Italian goalkeeper and the most capped Italian player of all time; 2006 World Cup winner and ten-time Serie A champion.
“An authoritative, athletic keeper whose longevity made him the most-capped goalkeeper in history.”
The talismanic top scorer of the 1978 World Cup, Kempes was Argentina's long-haired talisman and one of the first South American stars to shine in Spanish football.
“A powerful, direct forward who ran at defences from deep and finished with ferocious shooting power.”
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 (2006)
- 10× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 1× Ligue 1 (2019)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (1978)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1980)
- 1× Copa del Rey (1979)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1995 Parma debut
- 2001 World-record keeper transfer to Juventus
- 2003 Lost the Champions League final on penalties
- 2006 World Cup winner with Italy
- 2018 Joined Paris Saint-Germain
- 2019 Returned to Juventus
- 2023 Scored a career goal for Parma in Serie B
- 1973 Professional debut for Rosario Central
- 1978 Won FIFA World Cup with Valencia CF
- 1979 Won Copa del Rey with Valencia CF
- 1978 Reached the peak of his powers at Valencia CF
- 1996 Retired after a final spell at Austria Vienna
- Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Gianluigi Buffon edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Gianluigi Buffon edges it (a clear margin)
