Edgar Davids vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Defensive Midfielder, Netherlands (born 1973, retired 2011) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Comparing Edgar Davids with Per Mertesacker means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. By the end Edgar Davids had 45 goals from 600 caps and club outings; Per Mertesacker had 15 from 550. In chance creation, Edgar Davids tallied 40 assists to Per Mertesacker's 5. The honours ledger favours Edgar Davids with 4 major trophies (1× UEFA Champions League (1995)) against Per Mertesacker's 4 (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)). Stylistically Edgar Davids was orchestrating where Per Mertesacker was resolute — two vocabularies of the same sport. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Edgar Davids's landmark level arrived around 2000 with a career spanning Ajax, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Internazionale, Tottenham Hotspur, Ajax, Crystal Palace; Per Mertesacker's came around 2014 across Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
152 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Nicknamed 'The Pitbull' for his relentless tackling, Davids wore his trademark wraparound goggles and was one of the most feared ball-winners in Europe during Juventus's late-1990s dominance.
“An aggressive, tireless ball-winner whose combativeness and surprising technical quality made him a complete midfield destroyer.”
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
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1995)
- 3× Serie A (1998, 2002, 2003)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1991 Professional debut for Ajax
- 1995 Won UEFA Champions League with Ajax
- 1998 Won Serie A with Juventus
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Juventus
- 2011 Retired after a final spell at Crystal Palace
- Finished his career with 45 goals in 600 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 45 goals in 600 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 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, Edgar Davids takes it by a decisive margin.
Edgar Davids edges it (a decisive margin)
