Ferenc Puskás vs Daniele De Rossi: Stats Compared
Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966) · Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019)
Ferenc Puskás versus Daniele De Rossi is a clash of two unmistakable footballing identities. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. By the end Ferenc Puskás had 598 goals from 621 caps and club outings; Daniele De Rossi had 65 from 700. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Ferenc Puskás is credited with 0 and Daniele De Rossi with 60. In major honours Ferenc Puskás collected 10 — headlined by 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966) — whereas Daniele De Rossi amassed 3, led by 1× FIFA World Cup (2006). One lifted trophies through clinical reliability, the other through intelligent moments that decided finals. The wider career context matters too: Ferenc Puskás peaked around 1960 after representing Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid, while Daniele De Rossi's defining level came around 2013 across Roma. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
164 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Hungarian legend of the Magical Magyats and a Real Madrid galáctico; scorer of 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary.
“A barrel-chested left-footed finisher whose deadly striking powered Hungary's Golden Team.”
A one-club legend and 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi embodied Roma's midfield for nearly two decades, combining ferocious tackling with a superb range of passing.
“A commanding, technically excellent deep-lying midfielder who mixed hard tackling with elegant long-range distribution.”
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× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)
- 5× La Liga
- 1× Olympic Gold Medal (1952)
- 1× Central European Cup (1953)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1943 Budapest Honvéd debut
- 1952 Olympic champion with Hungary
- 1953 Scored twice in the 6-3 win over England at Wembley
- 1956 Fled the Hungarian Revolution
- 1958 Joined Real Madrid
- 1960 Scored four goals in the European Cup final
- 1966 Retired from playing
- 2001 Professional debut for Roma
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with Roma
- 2007 Won Coppa Italia with Roma
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Roma
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Roma
- Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Ferenc Puskás edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Ferenc Puskás edges it (a decisive margin)
