Mario Kempes vs Bastian Schweinsteiger: Stats Compared
Striker, Argentina (born 1954, retired 1996) · Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1984, retired 2019)
Set Mario Kempes alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger and the numbers start an argument of their own. Greatness, in the end, is about who you inspired, and both left a footprint far beyond their own careers. Mario Kempes finishes with 350 career goals from 600 games — a 0.58 strike rate — against Bastian Schweinsteiger's 99 from 657 at 0.15 per match. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. In major honours Mario Kempes collected 3 — headlined by 1× FIFA World Cup (1978) — whereas Bastian Schweinsteiger amassed 18, led by 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Their legacies diverge in texture: Mario Kempes is remembered as clinical, Bastian Schweinsteiger as creative. Club journeys add another layer, with Mario Kempes reaching his representative peak around 1978 across Rosario Central, Valencia CF, River Plate, Valencia CF, Hércules CF, Austria Vienna and Bastian Schweinsteiger doing so around 2014 with Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chicago Fire. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
182 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
The talismanic top scorer of the 1978 World Cup, Kempes was Argentina's long-haired talisman and one of the first South American stars to shine in Spanish football.
“A powerful, direct forward who ran at defences from deep and finished with ferocious shooting power.”
German midfielder who won the 2014 World Cup and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
“A converted winger turned midfield general whose tireless running and passing drove Bayern and Germany.”
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 (1978)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1980)
- 1× Copa del Rey (1979)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2013)
- 8× Bundesliga
- 7× DFB-Pokal
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1973 Professional debut for Rosario Central
- 1978 Won FIFA World Cup with Valencia CF
- 1979 Won Copa del Rey with Valencia CF
- 1978 Reached the peak of his powers at Valencia CF
- 1996 Retired after a final spell at Austria Vienna
- Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 2002 Bayern Munich debut
- 2006 World Cup third-place on home soil
- 2010 Bayern Champions League final defeat in Madrid
- 2013 Won the treble under Jupp Heynckes
- 2014 World Cup winner, scored in the final bloodied
- 2015 Joined Manchester United
- 2017 Joined Chicago Fire in MLS
The verdict
On balance Bastian Schweinsteiger edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Bastian Schweinsteiger edges it (a decisive margin)
