Bastian Schweinsteiger vs David James: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1984, retired 2019) · Goalkeeper, England (born 1970, retired 2014)
Line up Bastian Schweinsteiger next to David James and the contrasts come quickly. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. The raw numbers read 99 goals in 657 outings for Bastian Schweinsteiger (0.15/game), versus 0 in 850 for David James (0.00/game). Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Bastian Schweinsteiger 18 and David James 1, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) and 1× FA Cup (2008) the standout honours respectively. Bastian Schweinsteiger belonged to the modern era, dominating with a incisive quality; David James rose in the turn of the millennium with a sweeper-keen edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Bastian Schweinsteiger reaching his representative peak around 2014 across Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chicago Fire and David James doing so around 2005 with Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bristol City, Bournemouth. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
174 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
German midfielder who won the 2014 World Cup and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
“A converted winger turned midfield general whose tireless running and passing drove Bayern and Germany.”
The Premier League's most-capped goalkeeper at the time of his retirement, James was renowned for his shot-stopping and occasional highlight-reel errors across a two-decade top-flight career.
“An athletic, agile shot-stopper whose reflexes and command of his box made him a mainstay of English goalkeeping for two decades.”
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 (2014)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2013)
- 8× Bundesliga
- 7× DFB-Pokal
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
- 1× FA Cup (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2002 Bayern Munich debut
- 2006 World Cup third-place on home soil
- 2010 Bayern Champions League final defeat in Madrid
- 2013 Won the treble under Jupp Heynckes
- 2014 World Cup winner, scored in the final bloodied
- 2015 Joined Manchester United
- 2017 Joined Chicago Fire in MLS
- 1988 Professional debut for Watford
- 2008 Won FA Cup with Portsmouth
- 2005 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester City
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Bournemouth
- Finished his career with 0 goals in 850 appearances and 1 major honours. Finished his career with 0 goals in 850 appearances and 1 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Bastian Schweinsteiger the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Bastian Schweinsteiger edges it (a decisive margin)
