Gary Lineker vs Pauleta: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Striker, Portugal (born 1973, retired 2008)
Ask any fan to rank Gary Lineker above or below Pauleta and you will get a passionate answer. They belonged to different eras, which makes any direct comparison a test of imagination as much as statistics. Career output puts Gary Lineker at 330 goals in 567 games, with Pauleta at 240 in 550. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Gary Lineker is listed at 0 and Pauleta at 40 where figures survive. In major honours Gary Lineker collected 9 — headlined by 1× Copa del Rey (1988) — whereas Pauleta amassed 3, led by 1× Ligue 1 (2000). Gary Lineker belonged to the 1980s, dominating with a mercurial quality; Pauleta rose in the turn of the millennium with a predatory edge. Their routes to the top were distinct: Gary Lineker built his reputation across Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham, peaking around 1986, while Pauleta reached his defining level around 2000 after spells with Vitória Guimarães, Salgueiros, Deportivo La Coruña, Bordeaux, Paris Saint-Germain. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
186 words · comparison angle: era
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.”
Portugal's all-time leading goalscorer for over a decade, Pauleta was a clinical striker who led Bordeaux to a shock Ligue 1 title before years as Paris Saint-Germain's talisman.
“A sharp-shooting, opportunistic striker with excellent positioning inside the box and a reliable finish with either foot.”
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× Ligue 1 (2000)
- 2× Coupe de France (2004, 2006)
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
- 1992 Professional debut for Vitória Guimarães
- 2000 Won Ligue 1 with Bordeaux
- 2004 Won Coupe de France with Paris Saint-Germain
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Bordeaux
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Paris Saint-Germain
- Finished his career with 240 goals in 550 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 240 goals in 550 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Gary Lineker takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Gary Lineker edges it (a decisive margin)
