Roberto Baggio vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Italy (born 1967, retired 2004) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
Put Roberto Baggio and Park Ji-sung side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. The raw numbers read 318 goals in 602 outings for Roberto Baggio (0.53/game), versus 60 in 550 for Park Ji-sung (0.11/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Roberto Baggio is credited with 0 and Park Ji-sung with 60. Roberto Baggio departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× UEFA Cup (1993); Park Ji-sung with 5, including 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011). Stylistically Roberto Baggio was incisive where Park Ji-sung was silky — two vocabularies of the same sport. The wider career context matters too: Roberto Baggio peaked around 1993 after representing Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Bologna, Inter, while Park Ji-sung's defining level came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
176 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Roberto Baggio is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder. He is also the former president of the technical sector of the Italian Football Federation. A highly skillful creative playmaker and set piece specialist, renowned for his curling free-kicks, dribbling skills, and goalscoring, Baggio is regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time.
“A delicate playmaker with velvet touch, disguised passing and an instinct for decisive moments.”
The first Asian player to win the Champions League and reach a World Cup semi-final, Park was renowned for his tireless work rate and big-game performances for Manchester United.
“A relentless, selfless box-to-box midfielder whose stamina and tactical discipline made him invaluable in the biggest matches.”
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 Cup (1993)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1985 Established himself at Vicenza
- 1989 Reached his defining peak
- 1993 Delivered a landmark season
- 2004 Retired from professional football
- 2000 Professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga
- 2007 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 2008 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 2008 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Queens Park Rangers
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Roberto Baggio edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Roberto Baggio edges it (a decisive margin)
