Eusébio vs Daniele De Rossi: Stats Compared
Striker, Portugal (born 1942, retired 1978) · Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019)
There is something timeless about weighing Eusébio against Daniele De Rossi. Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. Eusébio finishes with 623 career goals from 715 games — a 0.87 strike rate — against Daniele De Rossi's 65 from 700 at 0.09 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Eusébio is credited with 0 and Daniele De Rossi with 60. Eusébio departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× European Cup (1962); Daniele De Rossi with 3, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2006). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Eusébio predatory, Daniele De Rossi incisive. Their routes to the top were distinct: Eusébio built his reputation across Benfica, Montréal Manic, peaking around 1965, while Daniele De Rossi reached his defining level around 2013 after spells with Roma. The honest conclusion is that comparison enriches appreciation rather than crowns a single winner.
165 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" and "o Rei" ("the King"), was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and Benfica’s greatest player. Known for his speed, technique, athleticism and right-footed shot, he became one of football’s most prolific goalscorers.
“A powerful, explosive striker who combined pace, technique and a thunderous shot.”
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.”
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× European Cup (1962)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1957 Established himself at Benfica
- 1961 Reached his defining peak
- 1965 Delivered a landmark season
- 1978 Retired from professional football
- 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.
The verdict
On balance Eusébio edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Eusébio edges it (a decisive margin)
