Ferenc Puskás vs Bixente Lizarazu: Stats Compared
Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966) · Left-Back, France (born 1969, retired 2006)
Put Ferenc Puskás and Bixente Lizarazu side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. By the end Ferenc Puskás had 598 goals from 621 caps and club outings; Bixente Lizarazu had 15 from 600. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Ferenc Puskás is listed at 0 and Bixente Lizarazu at 30 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Ferenc Puskás 10 and Bixente Lizarazu 7, with 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966) and 1× FIFA World Cup (1998) the standout honours respectively. Ferenc Puskás played with a predatory that made him unmistakable; Bixente Lizarazu brought a rugged that was equally his own. The wider career context matters too: Ferenc Puskás peaked around 1960 after representing Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid, while Bixente Lizarazu's defining level came around 2001 across Bordeaux, Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich, Marseille. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
168 words · comparison angle: style
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 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
- 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)
- 5× La Liga
- 1× Olympic Gold Medal (1952)
- 1× Central European Cup (1953)
- 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
- 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
- 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
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Ferenc Puskás takes it by a decisive margin.
Ferenc Puskás edges it (a decisive margin)
