Roger Milla vs Bixente Lizarazu: Stats Compared
Striker, Cameroon (born 1952, retired 1994) · Left-Back, France (born 1969, retired 2006)
Comparing Roger Milla with Bixente Lizarazu means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Strip away the highlights and the medal count tells its own story for each man. Roger Milla finishes with 150 career goals from 400 games — a 0.38 strike rate — against Bixente Lizarazu's 15 from 600 at 0.03 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Roger Milla is listed at 0 and Bixente Lizarazu at 30 where figures survive. Roger Milla departs the game with 3 major pieces of silverware, including 2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988); Bixente Lizarazu with 7, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1998). Roger Milla built his medal haul through years of predatory consistency, while Bixente Lizarazu won his with elegant bursts of brilliance. Their routes to the top were distinct: Roger Milla built his reputation across Union Douala, Valenciennes, Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Étienne, Montpellier, JS Kabylie, peaking around 1990, while Bixente Lizarazu reached his defining level around 2001 after spells with Bordeaux, Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich, Marseille. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
189 words · comparison angle: trophies
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.”
A world judo champion off the pitch, Lizarazu was one of the finest left-backs of his generation, winning the World Cup, European Championship and Champions League with Bayern Munich.
“A compact, combative full-back whose low centre of gravity and stamina let him bomb up and down the flank all match.”
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× FIFA World Cup (1998)
- 1× UEFA European Championship (2000)
- 4× Bundesliga (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2001)
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.
- 1988 Professional debut for Bordeaux
- 1998 Won FIFA World Cup with Bayern Munich
- 2001 Won UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich
- 2001 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Marseille
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 600 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 600 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Bixente Lizarazu edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Bixente Lizarazu edges it (a decisive margin)
