Pelé vs Emmanuel Petit: Stats Compared
Forward, Brazil (born 1940, retired 1977) · Defensive Midfielder, France (born 1970, retired 2004)
Ask any fan to rank Pelé above or below Emmanuel Petit and you will get a passionate answer. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. By the end Pelé had 757 goals from 812 caps and club outings; Emmanuel Petit had 45 from 500. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Pelé is credited with 0 and Emmanuel Petit with 40. Pelé departs the game with 14 major pieces of silverware, including 3× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970); Emmanuel Petit with 4, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1998). Pelé scored with a explosive that defined his era, while Emmanuel Petit's finishing carried a incisive all of its own. Club journeys add another layer, with Pelé reaching his representative peak around 1970 across Santos, New York Cosmos and Emmanuel Petit doing so around 1998 with Monaco, Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
173 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé is the only player to win three FIFA World Cups. FIFA recognises 757 official senior career goals (1,281 including friendlies).
“A two-footed, athletic forward who combined explosive pace, aerial ability and extraordinary vision.”
Scorer of France's third goal in the 1998 World Cup final, Petit was a versatile, combative midfielder who completed the Premier League and FA Cup double with Arsenal that same year.
“A tall, technically sound midfielder capable of playing centre-back or holding midfield with equal composure.”
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
- 3× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970)
- 2× Copa Libertadores (1962, 1963)
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1962, 1963)
- 6× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- 1× NASL Soccer Bowl (1977)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (1998)
- 1× UEFA European Championship (2000)
- 1× Premier League (1998)
- 1× FA Cup (1998)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1956 Professional debut for Santos aged 15
- 1958 Became youngest World Cup goalscorer at 17
- 1959 Top scorer in the Campeonato Brasileiro
- 1962 Won second World Cup despite injury in the final
- 1969 Scored his 1,000th career goal
- 1975 Came out of semi-retirement to join New York Cosmos
- 1977 Honoured at Pelé Day halftime show at Giants Stadium
- 1988 Professional debut for Monaco
- 1998 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 1998 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 1998 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2004 Retired after a final spell at Chelsea
- Finished his career with 45 goals in 500 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 45 goals in 500 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Pelé edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Pelé edges it (a decisive margin)
