Gary Lineker vs Ali Daei: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Striker, Iran (born 1969, retired 2007)
There is something timeless about weighing Gary Lineker against Ali Daei. Position shapes everything in football, and these two fulfilled very different briefs. By the end Gary Lineker had 330 goals from 567 caps and club outings; Ali Daei had 200 from 400. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Gary Lineker departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× Copa del Rey (1988); Ali Daei with 4, including 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993). As a striker Gary Lineker bent the role to a mercurial template; as a striker, Ali Daei redefined it with ruthless authority. The wider career context matters too: Gary Lineker peaked around 1986 after representing Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham, while Ali Daei's defining level came around 1999 across Persepolis, Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, Hertha BSC, Al-Sadd, Saba Qom. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
163 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
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.”
The all-time leading international goalscorer for over a decade with 109 goals, Daei was Asia's most feared centre-forward through the 1990s and 2000s.
“A physically imposing, clinical target man dominant in the air and lethal in front of goal.”
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× Copa del Rey (1988)
- 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993)
- 1× Hazfi Cup (1993)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1978 Established himself at Leicester City
- 1982 Reached his defining peak
- 1986 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 Retired from professional football
- 1988 Professional debut for Persepolis
- 1990 Won Iranian Football League with Persepolis
- 1993 Won Hazfi Cup with Persepolis
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2007 Retired after a final spell at Saba Qom
- Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Gary Lineker the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Gary Lineker edges it (a decisive margin)
