Ivan Rakitić vs Bastian Schweinsteiger: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Croatia (born 1988, retired 2023) · Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1984, retired 2019)
Set Ivan Rakitić alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger and the numbers start an argument of their own. Legacy is the only real measure that outlives the numbers, and both have staked towering claims. Career output puts Ivan Rakitić at 90 goals in 700 games, with Bastian Schweinsteiger at 99 in 657. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Ivan Rakitić is credited with 90 and Bastian Schweinsteiger with 0. The honours ledger favours Ivan Rakitić with 6 major trophies (1× UEFA Champions League (2015)) against Bastian Schweinsteiger's 18 (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)). Their legacies diverge in texture: Ivan Rakitić is remembered as silky, Bastian Schweinsteiger as creative. Club journeys add another layer, with Ivan Rakitić reaching his representative peak around 2015 across Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Sevilla, Hajduk Split and Bastian Schweinsteiger doing so around 2014 with Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chicago Fire. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
173 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
A key architect of Barcelona's 2015 treble and Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final, Rakitić combined tireless work rate with excellent passing range.
“A tireless, technically composed box-to-box midfielder whose range of passing linked defence and attack seamlessly.”
German midfielder who won the 2014 World Cup and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
“A converted winger turned midfield general whose tireless running and passing drove Bayern and Germany.”
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× UEFA Champions League (2015)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2014)
- 4× La Liga (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2013)
- 8× Bundesliga
- 7× DFB-Pokal
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2005 Professional debut for Basel
- 2015 Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona
- 2015 Won La Liga with Barcelona
- 2015 Reached the peak of his powers at Barcelona
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Hajduk Split
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours.
- 2002 Bayern Munich debut
- 2006 World Cup third-place on home soil
- 2010 Bayern Champions League final defeat in Madrid
- 2013 Won the treble under Jupp Heynckes
- 2014 World Cup winner, scored in the final bloodied
- 2015 Joined Manchester United
- 2017 Joined Chicago Fire in MLS
The verdict
The numbers give Bastian Schweinsteiger the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Bastian Schweinsteiger edges it (a decisive margin)
