Ronaldinho vs Raúl: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder / Winger, Brazil (born 1980, retired 2015) · Striker, Spain (born 1977, retired 2015)
Ronaldinho against Raúl is the kind of comparison that fuels pub arguments for hours. Position shapes everything in football, and these two fulfilled very different briefs. By the end Ronaldinho had 282 goals from 685 caps and club outings; Raúl had 432 from 1032. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Ronaldinho departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2002); Raúl with 16, including 3× UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002). The attacking midfielder / winger duties of Ronaldinho leaned creative; the striker responsibilities of Raúl leaned clinical. Club journeys add another layer, with Ronaldinho reaching his representative peak around 2006 across Grêmio, PSG, Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, Querétaro, Fluminense and Raúl doing so around 2002 with Real Madrid, Schalke 04, Al Sadd, New York Cosmos. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
165 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Brazilian magician and 2005 Ballon d'Or winner who led Barcelona to their second Champions League title in 2006.
“A mercurial, samba-flaired playmaker whose tricks, flicks and elastico delighted crowds and baffled defenders.”
Real Madrid legend who captained the club to three Champions League titles; held the all-time Champions League goals record before Messi and Ronaldo surpassed him.
“An intelligent, tireless forward whose movement off the ball created chances for himself and others.”
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 (2002)
- 2× Copa América (1999, 2005)
- 1× FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2006)
- 2× La Liga (2005, 2006)
- 1× Serie A (2011)
- 3× UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)
- 6× La Liga
- 4× Supercopa de España
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1998, 2002)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2002)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1998 Professional debut for Grêmio
- 2001 Moved to PSG
- 2002 World Cup winner, scored a famous lob against England
- 2003 Signed for Barcelona
- 2005 Ballon d'Or winner
- 2006 Champions League winner with Barcelona
- 2011 Won the Campeonato Brasileiro with Flamengo
- 1994 Real Madrid debut aged 17
- 1996 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Champions League winner at 20
- 2000 Champions League winner, top scorer in the tournament
- 2003 Became Real Madrid captain
- 2010 Left Real Madrid after 16 years at the club
- 2015 Retired at New York Cosmos
The verdict
On balance Raúl edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Raúl edges it (a clear margin)
