Romário vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Striker, Brazil (born 1966, retired 2009) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Few debates split football fans quite like Romário versus Clint Dempsey. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Romário finishes with 753 career goals from 994 games — a 0.76 strike rate — against Clint Dempsey's 180 from 550 at 0.33 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Romário is credited with 0 and Clint Dempsey with 90. Trophy counts give Romário 9 and Clint Dempsey 2, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1994) and 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014) the standout honours respectively. Romário scored with a ruthless that defined his era, while Clint Dempsey's finishing carried a ruthless all of its own. Their routes to the top were distinct: Romário built his reputation across PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Vasco da Gama, peaking around 1994, while Clint Dempsey reached his defining level around 2012 after spells with New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
184 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Romário de Souza Faria (born 29 January 1966), known simply as Romário, is a Brazilian politician and former professional footballer. A prolific striker renowned for clinical finishing, he is considered one of the greatest players of all time. He scored more than 700 goals for club and country and became one of only five players to score 100 goals for three different clubs.
“A compact poacher whose first touch and near-post movement were relentlessly efficient.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable 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 (1994)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1986 Established himself at PSV Eindhoven
- 1990 Reached his defining peak
- 1994 Delivered a landmark season
- 2009 Retired from professional football
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Romário takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Romário edges it (a decisive margin)
