Carlos Tevez vs David James: Stats Compared
Striker, Argentina (born 1984, retired 2021) · Goalkeeper, England (born 1970, retired 2014)
The Carlos Tevez–David James comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Comparing across positions is never straightforward, and these two asked different questions of opponents. Across his senior career Carlos Tevez notched 280 goals in 700 appearances (0.40 per game), while David James recorded 0 in 850 (0.00 per game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Carlos Tevez is credited with 90 and David James with 0. Trophy counts give Carlos Tevez 5 and David James 1, with 1× Premier League (2012) and 1× FA Cup (2008) the standout honours respectively. The striker duties of Carlos Tevez leaned flair-driven; the goalkeeper responsibilities of David James leaned authoritative. Club journeys add another layer, with Carlos Tevez reaching his representative peak around 2011 across Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham United, Manchester United, Manchester City, Juventus, Boca Juniors, Shanghai Shenhua, Boca Juniors and David James doing so around 2005 with Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bristol City, Bournemouth. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
190 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
A tenacious, street-smart Argentine striker known as 'El Apache', beloved for his relentless work rate and hunger for goals.
“A combative, low-centre-of-gravity forward who pressed relentlessly and thrived on scrappy, instinctive finishes.”
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× Premier League (2012)
- 2× Serie A (2014, 2015)
- 1× Copa Libertadores (2003)
- 1× Argentine Primera División (2003)
- 1× FA Cup (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Professional debut for Boca Juniors
- 2012 Won Premier League with Manchester City
- 2003 Won Argentine Primera División with Boca Juniors
- 2011 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester City
- 2021 Retired after a final spell at Boca Juniors
- Finished his career with 280 goals in 700 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 280 goals in 700 appearances and 5 major honours.
- 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
On balance Carlos Tevez edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Carlos Tevez edges it (a decisive margin)
