Marco Tardelli vs Predrag Mijatović: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1954, retired 1988) · Striker, Yugoslavia (born 1969, retired 2004)
Put Marco Tardelli and Predrag Mijatović side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. The raw numbers read 90 goals in 450 outings for Marco Tardelli (0.20/game), versus 210 in 500 for Predrag Mijatović (0.42/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Marco Tardelli is listed at 0 and Predrag Mijatović at 30 where figures survive. In major honours Marco Tardelli collected 7 — headlined by 1× FIFA World Cup (1982) — whereas Predrag Mijatović amassed 2, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (1998). One lifted trophies through silky reliability, the other through mercurial moments that decided finals. The wider career context matters too: Marco Tardelli peaked around 1982 after representing Pisa, Juventus, Internazionale, St. Gallen, while Predrag Mijatović's defining level came around 1998 across Budućnost Podgorica, Partizan, Valencia CF, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, Levante. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
168 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Remembered forever for his euphoric, tear-filled goal celebration in the 1982 World Cup final, Tardelli was a dynamic box-to-box midfielder at the heart of Juventus's most dominant era.
“A relentless, combative midfielder who broke up play before surging forward to arrive late in the box.”
Mijatović's decisive winning goal in the 1998 Champions League final ended Real Madrid's 32-year wait for the European Cup and remains one of the club's most iconic moments.
“A clever, mobile striker whose intelligent runs in behind and composed finishing produced goals in the biggest moments.”
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 (1982)
- 5× Serie A (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1984)
- 1× European Cup (1985)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1998)
- 1× La Liga (1997)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1971 Professional debut for Pisa
- 1982 Won FIFA World Cup with Juventus
- 1985 Won European Cup with Juventus
- 1982 Reached the peak of his powers at Juventus
- 1988 Retired after a final spell at St. Gallen
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 450 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 450 appearances and 7 major honours.
- 1986 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1998 Won UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
- 1997 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 2004 Retired after a final spell at Levante
- Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Marco Tardelli wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Marco Tardelli edges it (a clear margin)
