Gianluigi Buffon vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
Line up Gianluigi Buffon next to Miroslav Klose and the contrasts come quickly. Comparing across positions is never straightforward, and these two asked different questions of opponents. The raw numbers read 1 goals in 1147 outings for Gianluigi Buffon (0.00/game), versus 318 in 705 for Miroslav Klose (0.45/game). Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Trophy counts give Gianluigi Buffon 15 and Miroslav Klose 7, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. The goalkeeper duties of Gianluigi Buffon leaned reflex-sharp; the striker responsibilities of Miroslav Klose leaned clinical. Club journeys add another layer, with Gianluigi Buffon reaching his representative peak around 2006 across Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Parma and Miroslav Klose doing so around 2014 with Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
156 words · comparison angle: role
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.”
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
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 (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
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
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Gianluigi Buffon takes it by a narrow margin.
Gianluigi Buffon edges it (a narrow margin)
