Raymond Kopa vs Dejan Savićević: Stats Compared
Forward, France (born 1931, retired 1967) · Attacking Midfielder, Yugoslavia (born 1966, retired 2001)
Ask any fan to rank Raymond Kopa above or below Dejan Savićević and you will get a passionate answer. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. Raymond Kopa finishes with 150 career goals from 450 games — a 0.33 strike rate — against Dejan Savićević's 110 from 450 at 0.24 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Raymond Kopa is listed at 0 and Dejan Savićević at 70 where figures survive. Raymond Kopa departs the game with 5 major pieces of silverware, including 3× European Cup (1957, 1958, 1959); Dejan Savićević with 5, including 1× European Cup (1991). The forward duties of Raymond Kopa leaned flair-driven; the attacking midfielder responsibilities of Dejan Savićević leaned intelligent. The wider career context matters too: Raymond Kopa peaked around 1958 after representing Angers, Reims, Real Madrid, Reims, while Dejan Savićević's defining level came around 1994 across Budućnost Podgorica, Red Star Belgrade, AC Milan, Rapid Wien. The honest conclusion is that comparison enriches appreciation rather than crowns a single winner.
182 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
France's first football superstar and 1958 Ballon d'Or winner, Kopa won three straight European Cups alongside Di Stéfano at Real Madrid before returning to lead Reims.
“A diminutive, dazzling dribbler and creator whose vision and close control made him the conductor of every attack he played in.”
Nicknamed 'The Genius', Savićević was a mesmerising Montenegrin playmaker whose iconic lobbed goal in the 1994 Champions League final capped AC Milan's most dominant era.
“An audacious, unpredictable dribbler whose flair and outrageous invention made him one of the most watchable players of his generation.”
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
- 3× European Cup (1957, 1958, 1959)
- 2× Ligue 1 (1953, 1960)
- 1× European Cup (1991)
- 3× Serie A (1993, 1994, 1996)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1949 Professional debut for Angers
- 1957 Won European Cup with Real Madrid
- 1953 Won Ligue 1 with Reims
- 1958 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 1967 Retired after a final spell at Reims
- Finished his career with 150 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 150 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
- 1982 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1991 Won European Cup with Red Star Belgrade
- 1994 Won UEFA Champions League with AC Milan
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at AC Milan
- 2001 Retired after a final spell at Rapid Wien
- Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Dejan Savićević takes it by a clear margin.
Dejan Savićević edges it (a clear margin)
