Steven Gerrard vs Ivan Rakitić: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, England (born 1980, retired 2016) · Central Midfielder, Croatia (born 1988, retired 2023)
The Steven Gerrard–Ivan Rakitić comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. They belonged to different eras, which makes any direct comparison a test of imagination as much as statistics. By the end Steven Gerrard had 212 goals from 860 caps and club outings; Ivan Rakitić had 90 from 700. In chance creation, Steven Gerrard tallied 155 assists to Ivan Rakitić's 90. Trophy counts give Steven Gerrard 8 and Ivan Rakitić 6, with 1× UEFA Champions League (2005) and 1× UEFA Champions League (2015) the standout honours respectively. Across the turn of the millennium and the modern era respectively, their dictatorial and orchestrating styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. Club journeys add another layer, with Steven Gerrard reaching his representative peak around 2005 across Liverpool, LA Galaxy and Ivan Rakitić doing so around 2015 with Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Sevilla, Hajduk Split. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
157 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Liverpool captain who led the famous 2005 Champions League comeback in Istanbul; one-club man for most of his Premier League career.
“A dynamic box-to-box midfielder with a hammer of a right foot and a habit of dragging Liverpool back into games.”
A key architect of Barcelona's 2015 treble and Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final, Rakitić combined tireless work rate with excellent passing range.
“A tireless, technically composed box-to-box midfielder whose range of passing linked defence and attack seamlessly.”
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 (2005)
- 1× UEFA Cup (2001)
- 2× FA Cup (2001, 2006)
- 3× EFL Cup (2001, 2003, 2012)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2001)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2015)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2014)
- 4× La Liga (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1998 Liverpool debut
- 2001 Won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble
- 2003 Replaced Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain
- 2005 Lifted the Champions League in Istanbul
- 2006 Player of the match in the FA Cup final
- 2012 Captained Great Britain at the Olympics
- 2015 Left Liverpool for LA Galaxy
- 2005 Professional debut for Basel
- 2015 Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona
- 2015 Won La Liga with Barcelona
- 2015 Reached the peak of his powers at Barcelona
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Hajduk Split
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Steven Gerrard the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Steven Gerrard edges it (a decisive margin)
