Daniele De Rossi vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Set Daniele De Rossi alongside Clint Dempsey and the numbers start an argument of their own. Long after the final whistle, what lingers is influence, and each man reshaped his corner of the game. Across his senior career Daniele De Rossi notched 65 goals in 700 appearances (0.09 per game), while Clint Dempsey recorded 180 in 550 (0.33 per game). Add playmaking to the mix and Daniele De Rossi laid on 60 goals, Clint Dempsey 90. In major honours Daniele De Rossi collected 3 — headlined by 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) — whereas Clint Dempsey amassed 2, led by 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014). History will file Daniele De Rossi under incisive greatness and Clint Dempsey under clinical greatness — different shelves, same temple. The wider career context matters too: Daniele De Rossi peaked around 2013 after representing Roma, while Clint Dempsey's defining level came around 2012 across New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
169 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
A one-club legend and 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi embodied Roma's midfield for nearly two decades, combining ferocious tackling with a superb range of passing.
“A commanding, technically excellent deep-lying midfielder who mixed hard tackling with elegant long-range distribution.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable goals.”
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× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Professional debut for Roma
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with Roma
- 2007 Won Coppa Italia with Roma
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Roma
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Roma
- Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Daniele De Rossi is the choice: a decisive margin, with a stronger all-round attribute profile the deciding factor.
Daniele De Rossi edges it (a decisive margin)
