Andrea Pirlo vs Cuauhtémoc Blanco: Stats Compared
Central / Attacking Midfielder, Italy (born 1979, retired 2017) · Forward, Mexico (born 1973, retired 2014)
Ask any fan to rank Andrea Pirlo above or below Cuauhtémoc Blanco and you will get a passionate answer. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. Andrea Pirlo finishes with 73 career goals from 728 games — a 0.10 strike rate — against Cuauhtémoc Blanco's 250 from 700 at 0.36 per match. The assist columns read 80 for Andrea Pirlo and 100 for Cuauhtémoc Blanco where the record exists. Andrea Pirlo departs the game with 13 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2006); Cuauhtémoc Blanco with 4, including 3× Liga MX (1992, 2002, 2005). Andrea Pirlo built his medal haul through years of intelligent consistency, while Cuauhtémoc Blanco won his with clinical bursts of brilliance. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Andrea Pirlo's landmark level arrived around 2006 with a career spanning Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, New York City FC; Cuauhtémoc Blanco's came around 1998 across América, Chicago Fire, Puebla FC. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
172 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Italian playmaker and World Cup winner; six-time Serie A champion and two-time Champions League winner.
“A deep-lying regista whose passing range and free-kick craft orchestrated Italy and Juventus for a decade.”
A flamboyant Mexican playmaker famed for inventing the 'Cuauhtemiña' skill move, Blanco starred at three World Cups across a 20-year career.
“A stocky, combative forward with outrageous flair, best remembered for hopping the ball between two defenders in a signature dribble.”
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 (2006)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (2003, 2007)
- 6× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 2× UEFA Super Cup (2003, 2007)
- 3× Liga MX (1992, 2002, 2005)
- 1× CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1992)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1995 Brescia debut aged 16
- 1998 Signed for Inter Milan but failed to break through
- 2001 Joined AC Milan and his career took off
- 2006 World Cup winner with Italy
- 2011 Free transfer to Juventus
- 2014 Set a Serie A points record with Juventus
- 2015 Joined MLS side New York City FC
- 1992 Professional debut for América
- 1992 Won Liga MX with América
- 1992 Won CONCACAF Champions' Cup with América
- 1998 Reached the peak of his powers at América
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Puebla FC
- Finished his career with 250 goals in 700 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 250 goals in 700 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Andrea Pirlo wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Andrea Pirlo edges it (a decisive margin)
