Gary Lineker vs Luís Figo: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Winger, Portugal (born 1972, retired 2009)
The Gary Lineker–Luís Figo comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. The raw numbers read 330 goals in 567 outings for Gary Lineker (0.58/game), versus 144 in 737 for Luís Figo (0.20/game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. Gary Lineker departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× Copa del Rey (1988); Luís Figo with 12, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2002). Gary Lineker played with a mercurial that made him unmistakable; Luís Figo brought a silky that was equally his own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Gary Lineker's landmark level arrived around 1986 with a career spanning Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham; Luís Figo's came around 2000 across Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
167 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
Portuguese winger and 2000 Ballon d'Or winner; won league titles in Spain and Italy at Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter.
“A right-wing dribbler with a trademark step-over and the capacity to deliver telling crosses all day.”
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)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2002)
- 4× La Liga (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003)
- 4× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1997)
- 2× Copa del Rey (1997, 1998)
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
- 1989 Sporting CP debut
- 1995 Joined Barcelona
- 2000 Controversial transfer to Real Madrid
- 2000 Ballon d'Or winner
- 2002 Champions League winner with Real Madrid
- 2005 Signed for Inter Milan
- 2009 Retired at Inter Milan
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Luís Figo wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Luís Figo edges it (a decisive margin)
