Diego Maradona vs Eusébio: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Striker, Portugal (born 1942, retired 1978)
Diego Maradona versus Eusébio is a clash of two unmistakable footballing identities. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. The raw numbers read 293 goals in 582 outings for Diego Maradona (0.50/game), versus 623 in 715 for Eusébio (0.87/game). 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 Diego Maradona 6 and Eusébio 9, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 1× European Cup (1962) the standout honours respectively. Diego Maradona played with a flair-driven that made him unmistakable; Eusébio brought a mercurial that was equally his own. The wider career context matters too: Diego Maradona peaked around 1986 after representing Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys, while Eusébio's defining level came around 1965 across Benfica, Montréal Manic. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
155 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Argentine legend who almost single-handedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup and transformed Napoli into Italian and European contenders.
“A low-centre-of-gravity left-footed genius whose dribbling and playmaking carried teams single-handedly.”
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" and "o Rei" ("the King"), was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and Benfica’s greatest player. Known for his speed, technique, athleticism and right-footed shot, he became one of football’s most prolific goalscorers.
“A powerful, explosive striker who combined pace, technique and a thunderous shot.”
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× FIFA World Cup (1986)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1989)
- 2× Serie A (1987, 1990)
- 1× Copa Italia (1987)
- 1× Argentine Primera División (1981)
- 1× European Cup (1962)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1976 Argentinos Juniors debut ten days before his 16th birthday
- 1981 Joined Boca Juniors and won the Argentine league
- 1982 World-record transfer to Barcelona
- 1984 Signed for Napoli for another world-record fee
- 1987 Led Napoli to their first ever Serie A title
- 1990 Captained Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final
- 1997 Played his final professional matches at Boca Juniors
- 1957 Established himself at Benfica
- 1961 Reached his defining peak
- 1965 Delivered a landmark season
- 1978 Retired from professional football
The verdict
On balance Eusébio edges the comparison. The margin is a narrow margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Eusébio edges it (a narrow margin)
