Cafu vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Right-Back, Brazil (born 1970, retired 2008) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Ask any fan to rank Cafu above or below Per Mertesacker and you will get a passionate answer. Reputations harden into legacies, and few careers cast longer shadows than these two. Cafu finishes with 53 career goals from 856 games — a 0.06 strike rate — against Per Mertesacker's 15 from 550 at 0.03 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Cafu is listed at 0 and Per Mertesacker at 5 where figures survive. Cafu departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002); Per Mertesacker with 4, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Their legacies diverge in texture: Cafu is remembered as uncompromising, Per Mertesacker as elegant. The wider career context matters too: Cafu peaked around 2002 after representing São Paulo, Roma, Milan, while Per Mertesacker's defining level came around 2014 across Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
173 words · comparison angle: legacy
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 towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
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 (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
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
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 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)
