Fabio Cannavaro vs Predrag Mijatović: Stats Compared
Centre-Back, Italy (born 1973, retired 2011) · Striker, Yugoslavia (born 1969, retired 2004)
Ask any fan to rank Fabio Cannavaro above or below Predrag Mijatović and you will get a passionate answer. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. Fabio Cannavaro finishes with 23 career goals from 790 games — a 0.03 strike rate — against Predrag Mijatović's 210 from 500 at 0.42 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Fabio Cannavaro is listed at 0 and Predrag Mijatović at 30 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Fabio Cannavaro 7 and Predrag Mijatović 2, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) and 1× UEFA Champions League (1998) the standout honours respectively. Fabio Cannavaro played with a resolute that made him unmistakable; Predrag Mijatović brought a clinical that was equally his own. Their routes to the top were distinct: Fabio Cannavaro built his reputation across Napoli, Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, Al-Ahli, peaking around 2006, while Predrag Mijatović reached his defining level around 1998 after spells with Budućnost Podgorica, Partizan, Valencia CF, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, Levante. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
200 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Italian defender who captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup; 2006 Ballon d'Or winner, the last defender to win the award.
“A short-but-vocal centre-back whose anticipation and bravery won him the Ballon d'Or as a defender.”
Mijatović's decisive winning goal in the 1998 Champions League final ended Real Madrid's 32-year wait for the European Cup and remains one of the club's most iconic moments.
“A clever, mobile striker whose intelligent runs in behind and composed finishing produced goals in the biggest moments.”
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)
- 2× La Liga (2007, 2008)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 2× Coppa Italia (1999, 2002)
- 1× Supercoppa Italiana (1999)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1998)
- 1× La Liga (1997)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1993 Napoli debut aged 19
- 1995 Joined Parma, defensive partnership with Thuram and Buffon
- 2002 Joined Inter Milan
- 2004 Signed for Juventus
- 2006 Joined Real Madrid after Calciopoli
- 2009 Returned to Juventus briefly
- 2011 Retired at Al-Ahli in Dubai
- 1986 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1998 Won UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
- 1997 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 2004 Retired after a final spell at Levante
- Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Fabio Cannavaro wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Fabio Cannavaro edges it (a decisive margin)
