Per Mertesacker vs Predrag Mijatović: Stats Compared
Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018) · Striker, Yugoslavia (born 1969, retired 2004)
Comparing Per Mertesacker with Predrag Mijatović means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Where pure finishing is concerned, this is a shootout between two of the most feared marksmen of their time. The raw numbers read 15 goals in 550 outings for Per Mertesacker (0.03/game), versus 210 in 500 for Predrag Mijatović (0.42/game). The assist columns read 5 for Per Mertesacker and 30 for Predrag Mijatović where the record exists. Per Mertesacker departs the game with 4 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2014); Predrag Mijatović with 2, including 1× UEFA Champions League (1998). Per Mertesacker scored with a elegant that defined his era, while Predrag Mijatović's finishing carried a explosive all of its own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Per Mertesacker's landmark level arrived around 2014 with a career spanning Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal; Predrag Mijatović's came around 1998 across Budućnost Podgorica, Partizan, Valencia CF, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, Levante. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
170 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.”
Mijatović's decisive winning goal in the 1998 Champions League final ended Real Madrid's 32-year wait for the European Cup and remains one of the club's most iconic moments.
“A clever, mobile striker whose intelligent runs in behind and composed finishing produced goals in the biggest moments.”
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)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1998)
- 1× La Liga (1997)
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.
- 1986 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1998 Won UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
- 1997 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 2004 Retired after a final spell at Levante
- Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production, silverware and profile, the two finish within a whisker of each other. Call it a respectful draw — greatness of this calibre resists a single winner.
Too close to call — a respectful draw
