Cafu vs Frank Lampard: Stats Compared
Right-Back, Brazil (born 1970, retired 2008) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1978, retired 2017)
Ask any fan to rank Cafu above or below Frank Lampard and you will get a passionate answer. Both built reputations on finding the back of the net, but they did it in markedly different ways. The raw numbers read 53 goals in 856 outings for Cafu (0.06/game), versus 303 in 980 for Frank Lampard (0.31/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Cafu is credited with 0 and Frank Lampard with 149. In major honours Cafu collected 9 — headlined by 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002) — whereas Frank Lampard amassed 10, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (2012). Where Cafu was a resolute presence in the box, Frank Lampard offered a silky approach to goalscoring. The wider career context matters too: Cafu peaked around 2002 after representing São Paulo, Roma, Milan, while Frank Lampard's defining level came around 2005 across West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester City, New York City FC. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
178 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Marcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a right-back. Widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, he was known for his pace and energetic attacking runs along the right flank. He is the most-capped player for the Brazil national team with 142 appearances.
“A relentless full-back whose running power and crossing made the flank a second engine.”
Chelsea's all-time top scorer with 211 goals; Champions League winner in 2012 and three-time Premier League champion.
“A tireless attacking midfielder with a ruthless eye for goal whose late runs became his trademark.”
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
- 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2012)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2013)
- 3× Premier League (2005, 2006, 2010)
- 4× FA Cup (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1998)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1994 Established himself at São Paulo
- 1998 Reached his defining peak
- 2002 Delivered a landmark season
- 2008 Retired from professional football
- 1995 West Ham debut
- 1997 England debut
- 2001 Joined Chelsea for £11m
- 2005 First Premier League title with Chelsea
- 2012 Won the Champions League with Chelsea
- 2013 Left Chelsea as the club's all-time top scorer
- 2017 Retired at New York City FC
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Frank Lampard takes it by a clear margin.
Frank Lampard edges it (a clear margin)
