Roger Milla vs David Luiz: Stats Compared
Striker, Cameroon (born 1952, retired 1994) · Centre-Back, Brazil (born 1987, retired 2023)
Line up Roger Milla next to David Luiz and the contrasts come quickly. Greatness, in the end, is about who you inspired, and both left a footprint far beyond their own careers. The raw numbers read 150 goals in 400 outings for Roger Milla (0.38/game), versus 35 in 650 for David Luiz (0.05/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Roger Milla is credited with 0 and David Luiz with 25. In major honours Roger Milla collected 3 — headlined by 2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988) — whereas David Luiz amassed 6, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (2012). History will file Roger Milla under flair-driven greatness and David Luiz under elegant greatness — different shelves, same temple. Club journeys add another layer, with Roger Milla reaching his representative peak around 1990 across Union Douala, Valenciennes, Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Étienne, Montpellier, JS Kabylie and David Luiz doing so around 2013 with Vitória, Benfica, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Arsenal, Flamengo. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
190 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
The exuberant hero of Cameroon's 1990 World Cup run, Milla became the oldest World Cup goalscorer at 42 and made his corner-flag dance world famous.
“A joyful, clever striker whose sharp movement and composure produced decisive goals late into his career.”
An eccentric, unpredictable Brazilian centre-back famed for his wild hairstyles and thunderous free-kicks, David Luiz won trophies across three major European leagues.
“An unorthodox, high-risk centre-back who combined bold attacking instincts and a huge shot with occasionally erratic positioning.”
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
- 2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988)
- 1× Coupe de France (1981)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2012)
- 2× UEFA Europa League (2013, 2019)
- 2× Premier League (2015, 2017)
- 1× FA Cup (2018)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1974 Professional debut for Union Douala
- 1984 Won Africa Cup of Nations with Monaco
- 1981 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1990 Reached the peak of his powers at Montpellier
- 1994 Retired after a final spell at JS Kabylie
- Finished his career with 150 goals in 400 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 150 goals in 400 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 2006 Professional debut for Vitória
- 2012 Won UEFA Champions League with Chelsea
- 2018 Won FA Cup with Chelsea
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Chelsea
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Flamengo
- Finished his career with 35 goals in 650 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 35 goals in 650 appearances and 6 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give David Luiz the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a weightier trophy cabinet.
David Luiz edges it (a decisive margin)
