Wayne Rooney vs Esteban Cambiasso: Stats Compared
Forward, England (born 1985, retired 2021) · Central Midfielder, Argentina (born 1980, retired 2016)
Ask any fan to rank Wayne Rooney above or below Esteban Cambiasso and you will get a passionate answer. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. Wayne Rooney finishes with 364 career goals from 879 games — a 0.41 strike rate — against Esteban Cambiasso's 60 from 620 at 0.10 per match. Add playmaking to the mix and Wayne Rooney laid on 145 goals, Esteban Cambiasso 55. Wayne Rooney departs the game with 13 major pieces of silverware, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2008); Esteban Cambiasso with 7, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2010). Wayne Rooney belonged to the modern era, dominating with a ruthless quality; Esteban Cambiasso rose in the modern era with a creative edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Wayne Rooney reaching his representative peak around 2011 across Everton, Manchester United, DC United, Derby County and Esteban Cambiasso doing so around 2010 with River Plate, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Leicester City, Olympiacos. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
176 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Manchester United's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals; England's second-highest scorer with 53 international goals.
“A powerful, aggressive forward whose relentless pressing, vision and finishing made him a complete team player.”
A tireless, tactically astute Argentine midfielder who anchored Inter's historic 2010 treble-winning side.
“A disciplined box-to-box midfielder with excellent positional sense and a surprising eye for a spectacular long-range goal.”
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 Champions League (2008)
- 5× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013)
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
- 4× EFL Cup (2006, 2009, 2010, 2017)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2017)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2008)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2010)
- 5× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2010)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2002 Everton debut aged 16
- 2004 Signed for Manchester United
- 2004 Scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut
- 2008 Won the Champions League with Manchester United
- 2010 England's youngest scorer at a World Cup
- 2017 Became Manchester United's all-time top scorer
- 2021 Returned to Derby County as player-manager
- 1996 Professional debut for River Plate
- 2010 Won UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan
- 2010 Won FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Milan
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Inter Milan
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at Olympiacos
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Wayne Rooney the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Wayne Rooney edges it (a decisive margin)
