Rivelino vs Davor Šuker: Stats Compared
Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981) · Striker, Croatia (born 1968, retired 2003)
Few debates split football fans quite like Rivelino versus Davor Šuker. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Across his senior career Rivelino notched 238 goals in 624 appearances (0.38 per game), while Davor Šuker recorded 273 in 526 (0.52 per game). Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Rivelino departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1970); Davor Šuker with 8, including 1× UEFA Champions League (1998). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Rivelino creative, Davor Šuker predatory. Their routes to the top were distinct: Rivelino built his reputation across Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal, peaking around 1970, while Davor Šuker reached his defining level around 1998 after spells with Osijek, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Arsenal, West Ham. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
157 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
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.”
Davor Šuker is a Croatian football administrator and former professional player who played as a striker. He served as the president of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) from 2012 to 2021. Šuker is generally regarded as the greatest Croatian striker of all time with a record 45 goals in 68 matches.
“A left-footed finisher with delicate touch, clever movement and a taste for spectacular goals.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1998)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1962 Established himself at Corinthians
- 1966 Reached his defining peak
- 1970 Delivered a landmark season
- 1981 Retired from professional football
- 1990 Established himself at Osijek
- 1994 Reached his defining peak
- 1998 Delivered a landmark season
- 2003 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Rivelino takes the verdict — a narrow margin, driven by consistency at the very highest level.
Rivelino edges it (a narrow margin)
