Cafu vs Bixente Lizarazu: Stats Compared
Right-Back, Brazil (born 1970, retired 2008) · Left-Back, France (born 1969, retired 2006)
The Cafu–Bixente Lizarazu comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. By the end Cafu had 53 goals from 856 caps and club outings; Bixente Lizarazu had 15 from 600. 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 Bixente Lizarazu with 30. Trophy counts give Cafu 9 and Bixente Lizarazu 7, with 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002) and 1× FIFA World Cup (1998) the standout honours respectively. Cafu played with a commanding that made him unmistakable; Bixente Lizarazu brought a rugged that was equally his own. Club journeys add another layer, with Cafu reaching his representative peak around 2002 across São Paulo, Roma, Milan and Bixente Lizarazu doing so around 2001 with Bordeaux, Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich, Marseille. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
168 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
A world judo champion off the pitch, Lizarazu was one of the finest left-backs of his generation, winning the World Cup, European Championship and Champions League with Bayern Munich.
“A compact, combative full-back whose low centre of gravity and stamina let him bomb up and down the flank all match.”
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× FIFA World Cup (1998)
- 1× UEFA European Championship (2000)
- 4× Bundesliga (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2001)
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
- 1988 Professional debut for Bordeaux
- 1998 Won FIFA World Cup with Bayern Munich
- 2001 Won UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich
- 2001 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Marseille
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 600 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 600 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Cafu takes it by a decisive margin.
Cafu edges it (a decisive margin)
