Per Mertesacker vs Elías Figueroa: Stats Compared
Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018) · Centre-Back, Chile (born 1946, retired 1982)
Few debates split football fans quite like Per Mertesacker versus Elías Figueroa. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Per Mertesacker finishes with 15 career goals from 550 games — a 0.03 strike rate — against Elías Figueroa's 40 from 600 at 0.07 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Per Mertesacker is listed at 5 and Elías Figueroa at 0 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Per Mertesacker with 4 major trophies (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)) against Elías Figueroa's 5 (2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968)). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Per Mertesacker uncompromising, Elías Figueroa uncompromising. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Per Mertesacker's landmark level arrived around 2014 with a career spanning Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal; Elías Figueroa's came around 1974 across Santiago Wanderers, Peñarol, Internacional, Palestino, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The honest conclusion is that comparison enriches appreciation rather than crowns a single winner.
171 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
A three-time South American Footballer of the Year, Figueroa is widely considered the finest defender the continent has produced, marshalling Internacional's dominant 1970s side.
“An imperious, elegant centre-back who combined aerial dominance with composed distribution well ahead of his era.”
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 (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
- 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968)
- 3× Campeonato Gaúcho (1973, 1974, 1975)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 1965 Professional debut for Santiago Wanderers
- 1967 Won Uruguayan Primera División with Peñarol
- 1973 Won Campeonato Gaúcho with Internacional
- 1974 Reached the peak of his powers at Internacional
- 1982 Retired after a final spell at Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Finished his career with 40 goals in 600 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 40 goals in 600 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Elías Figueroa wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a stronger all-round attribute profile.
Elías Figueroa edges it (a clear margin)
