Luis Suárez vs David Luiz: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Spain (born 1935, retired 1973) · Centre-Back, Brazil (born 1987, retired 2023)
Line up Luis Suárez next to David Luiz and the contrasts come quickly. Different decades shaped different demands, and both adapted to theirs brilliantly. The raw numbers read 198 goals in 474 outings for Luis Suárez (0.42/game), versus 35 in 650 for David Luiz (0.05/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Luis Suárez is listed at 0 and David Luiz at 25 where figures survive. In major honours Luis Suárez collected 9 — headlined by 2× European Cup (1964, 1965) — whereas David Luiz amassed 6, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (2012). Luis Suárez belonged to the post-war golden age, dominating with a creative quality; David Luiz rose in the modern era with a elegant edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Luis Suárez reaching his representative peak around 1964 across Deportivo, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria and David Luiz doing so around 2013 with Vitória, Benfica, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Arsenal, Flamengo. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
174 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Luis Suárez Miramontes was a Spanish professional footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, España Industrial, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria; he also represented the Spain national team between 1957 and 1972. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Spanish football players of all time, Suárez was noted for his elegant and fluid style of play and also regarded to be one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the sport.
“A cultured interior who saw passing lanes early and dictated matches with elegant control.”
An eccentric, unpredictable Brazilian centre-back famed for his wild hairstyles and thunderous free-kicks, David Luiz won trophies across three major European leagues.
“An unorthodox, high-risk centre-back who combined bold attacking instincts and a huge shot with occasionally erratic positioning.”
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
- 2× European Cup (1964, 1965)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2012)
- 2× UEFA Europa League (2013, 2019)
- 2× Premier League (2015, 2017)
- 1× FA Cup (2018)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1956 Established himself at Deportivo
- 1960 Reached his defining peak
- 1964 Delivered a landmark season
- 1973 Retired from professional football
- 2006 Professional debut for Vitória
- 2012 Won UEFA Champions League with Chelsea
- 2018 Won FA Cup with Chelsea
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Chelsea
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Flamengo
- Finished his career with 35 goals in 650 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 35 goals in 650 appearances and 6 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Luis Suárez the lead — a clear margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Luis Suárez edges it (a clear margin)
