Daniele De Rossi vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
The Daniele De Rossi–Miroslav Klose comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Across his senior career Daniele De Rossi notched 65 goals in 700 appearances (0.09 per game), while Miroslav Klose recorded 318 in 705 (0.45 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Daniele De Rossi is listed at 60 and Miroslav Klose at 0 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Daniele De Rossi 3 and Miroslav Klose 7, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Daniele De Rossi incisive, Miroslav Klose flair-driven. Their routes to the top were distinct: Daniele De Rossi built his reputation across Roma, peaking around 2013, while Miroslav Klose reached his defining level around 2014 after spells with Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
177 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
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.”
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
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× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
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.
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Miroslav Klose takes it by a narrow margin.
Miroslav Klose edges it (a narrow margin)
