Eusébio vs Gary Lineker: Stats Compared
Striker, Portugal (born 1942, retired 1978) · Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994)
The Eusébio–Gary Lineker comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. On production alone, Eusébio posted 623 goals across 715 appearances while Gary Lineker managed 330 across 567. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. The honours ledger favours Eusébio with 9 major trophies (1× European Cup (1962)) against Gary Lineker's 9 (1× Copa del Rey (1988)). Where Eusébio was a ruthless presence in the box, Gary Lineker offered a mercurial approach to goalscoring. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Eusébio's landmark level arrived around 1965 with a career spanning Benfica, Montréal Manic; Gary Lineker's came around 1986 across Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham. A sound verdict has to weigh those figures alongside position, tactical responsibility, quality of opposition and the length of each player's influence at the top. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
171 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.”
Gary Winston Lineker (born 30 November 1960) is an English sports broadcaster, businessman, and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of England's greatest players, Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three clubs: Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur. He also played for Barcelona in Spain, and won 80 caps for England.
“A model penalty-box striker whose timing and finishing were almost never wasted.”
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× Copa del Rey (1988)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1957 Established himself at Benfica
- 1961 Reached his defining peak
- 1965 Delivered a landmark season
- 1978 Retired from professional football
- 1978 Established himself at Leicester City
- 1982 Reached his defining peak
- 1986 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 Retired from professional football
The verdict
On balance Eusébio edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Eusébio edges it (a clear margin)
