Rivelino vs Fabio Cannavaro: Stats Compared
Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981) · Centre-Back, Italy (born 1973, retired 2011)
Comparing Rivelino with Fabio Cannavaro means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. Across his senior career Rivelino notched 238 goals in 624 appearances (0.38 per game), while Fabio Cannavaro recorded 23 in 790 (0.03 per game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. Rivelino departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1970); Fabio Cannavaro with 7, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2006). Rivelino played with a dictatorial that made him unmistakable; Fabio Cannavaro brought a rugged that was equally his own. Club journeys add another layer, with Rivelino reaching his representative peak around 1970 across Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal and Fabio Cannavaro doing so around 2006 with Napoli, Parma, Inter Milan, Juventus, Real Madrid, Al-Ahli. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
170 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Roberto Rivellino (born 1 January 1946), known mononymously as Rivellino, is a Brazilian football pundit and former player. He was a key member of Brazil’s 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning team and played as an attacking midfielder. He was renowned for his moustache, powerful long-range shooting, accurate passing, close control, dribbling and bending free kicks.
“A left-footed conductor famous for the elastico, fierce shooting and daring switches of play.”
Italian defender who captained Italy to the 2006 World Cup; 2006 Ballon d'Or winner, the last defender to win the award.
“A short-but-vocal centre-back whose anticipation and bravery won him the Ballon d'Or as a defender.”
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 (1970)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× La Liga (2007, 2008)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 2× Coppa Italia (1999, 2002)
- 1× Supercoppa Italiana (1999)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1962 Established himself at Corinthians
- 1966 Reached his defining peak
- 1970 Delivered a landmark season
- 1981 Retired from professional football
- 1993 Napoli debut aged 19
- 1995 Joined Parma, defensive partnership with Thuram and Buffon
- 2002 Joined Inter Milan
- 2004 Signed for Juventus
- 2006 Joined Real Madrid after Calciopoli
- 2009 Returned to Juventus briefly
- 2011 Retired at Al-Ahli in Dubai
The verdict
Weighing production, silverware and profile, the two finish within a whisker of each other. Call it a respectful draw — greatness of this calibre resists a single winner.
Too close to call — a respectful draw
