Gary Lineker vs Pavel Nedvěd: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Midfielder, Czech Republic (born 1972, retired 2009)
Line up Gary Lineker next to Pavel Nedvěd and the contrasts come quickly. Both built reputations on finding the back of the net, but they did it in markedly different ways. Gary Lineker finishes with 330 career goals from 567 games — a 0.58 strike rate — against Pavel Nedvěd's 156 from 711 at 0.22 per match. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Trophy counts give Gary Lineker 9 and Pavel Nedvěd 9, with 1× Copa del Rey (1988) and 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1999) the standout honours respectively. Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Gary Lineker predatory, Pavel Nedvěd silky. The wider career context matters too: Gary Lineker peaked around 1986 after representing Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham, while Pavel Nedvěd's defining level came around 2003 across Dukla Prague, Sparta Prague, Lazio, Juventus. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
166 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
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.”
Czech midfielder and 2003 Ballon d'Or winner; Serie A champion with Lazio and Juventus.
“A tireless attacking midfielder with explosive shooting from distance and endless running.”
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 Cup Winners' Cup (1999)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (1999)
- 3× Serie A (2000, 2002, 2003)
- 2× Coppa Italia (1998, 2000)
- 2× Supercoppa Italiana (2002, 2003)
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
- 1991 Dukla Prague debut
- 1996 Joined Lazio
- 1999 Won the Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio
- 2001 Joined Juventus as Zidane's replacement
- 2003 Ballon d'Or winner, reached the Champions League final
- 2005 Stayed at Juventus in Serie B after Calciopoli
- 2009 Retired at Juventus
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Pavel Nedvěd wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a stronger all-round attribute profile.
Pavel Nedvěd edges it (a clear margin)
