Diego Maradona vs Gary Lineker: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994)
Ask any fan to rank Diego Maradona above or below Gary Lineker and you will get a passionate answer. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. Across his senior career Diego Maradona notched 293 goals in 582 appearances (0.50 per game), while Gary Lineker recorded 330 in 567 (0.58 per game). Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Gary Lineker 9, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 1× Copa del Rey (1988) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically Diego Maradona was predatory where Gary Lineker was ruthless — two vocabularies of the same sport. Their routes to the top were distinct: Diego Maradona built his reputation across Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys, peaking around 1986, while Gary Lineker reached his defining level around 1986 after spells with Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
184 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.”
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.”
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× Copa del Rey (1988)
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
- 1978 Established himself at Leicester City
- 1982 Reached his defining peak
- 1986 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Diego Maradona takes it by a narrow margin.
Diego Maradona edges it (a narrow margin)
