Paolo Maldini vs Paul Scholes: Stats Compared
Centre-Back / Left-Back, Italy (born 1968, retired 2009) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1974, retired 2013)
Ask any fan to rank Paolo Maldini above or below Paul Scholes and you will get a passionate answer. Trophies, more than goals, are how most supporters ultimately remember a career. The raw numbers read 40 goals in 1028 outings for Paolo Maldini (0.04/game), versus 169 in 784 for Paul Scholes (0.22/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Paolo Maldini is credited with 0 and Paul Scholes with 75. The honours ledger favours Paolo Maldini with 19 major trophies (5× UEFA Champions League (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)) against Paul Scholes's 17 (2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008)). One lifted trophies through rugged reliability, the other through incisive moments that decided finals. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Paolo Maldini's landmark level arrived around 2003 with a career spanning AC Milan; Paul Scholes's came around 2008 across Manchester United. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
168 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
AC Milan's most decorated player, spending his entire 25-year career at the club; five-time Champions League winner.
“A composed, intelligent defender who read the game with immaculate timing across 25 seasons at Milan.”
Manchester United midfielder renowned for his passing range and vision; two-time Champions League winner.
“A short-sighted, single-touch midfielder whose passing range was unmatched in his generation.”
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
- 5× UEFA Champions League (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)
- 7× Serie A (1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2003)
- 5× UEFA Super Cup
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2007)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008)
- 11× Premier League
- 3× FA Cup (1996, 1999, 2004)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1985 AC Milan debut aged 16
- 1988 First Scudetto with Milan
- 1989 First European Cup with Milan
- 1994 Named man of the match in the Champions League final
- 2003 Won the Champions League final at Old Trafford
- 2007 Won his fifth Champions League trophy
- 2009 Retired aged 41 after 25 seasons at Milan
- 1994 Manchester United debut
- 1996 First Premier League title
- 1999 Treble winner with Manchester United
- 2003 Briefly retired from England duty
- 2008 Second Champions League winner
- 2011 Came out of retirement to help Manchester United
- 2013 Retired for good at Manchester United
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Paolo Maldini wins out by a clear margin on the weight of remarkable longevity.
Paolo Maldini edges it (a clear margin)
