Edwin van der Sar vs Mario Kempes: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Striker, Argentina (born 1954, retired 1996)
Few debates split football fans quite like Edwin van der Sar versus Mario Kempes. It is in how they played, rather than what they won, that the comparison gets interesting. On production alone, Edwin van der Sar posted 0 goals across 820 appearances while Mario Kempes managed 350 across 600. Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. Edwin van der Sar departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2008); Mario Kempes with 3, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1978). Edwin van der Sar played with a sweeper-keen that made him unmistakable; Mario Kempes brought a flair-driven that was equally his own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Edwin van der Sar's landmark level arrived around 2008 with a career spanning Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United; Mario Kempes's came around 1978 across Rosario Central, Valencia CF, River Plate, Valencia CF, Hércules CF, Austria Vienna. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
185 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Edwin van der Sar is a Dutch football executive and former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he was most recently the chief executive of Eredivisie club Ajax. Van der Sar began his senior playing career with Ajax in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a member of the club's golden generation and was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995.
“A tall, composed goalkeeper who made difficult saves look quiet and simple.”
The talismanic top scorer of the 1978 World Cup, Kempes was Argentina's long-haired talisman and one of the first South American stars to shine in Spanish football.
“A powerful, direct forward who ran at defences from deep and finished with ferocious shooting power.”
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)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (1978)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1980)
- 1× Copa del Rey (1979)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 Retired from professional football
- 1973 Professional debut for Rosario Central
- 1978 Won FIFA World Cup with Valencia CF
- 1979 Won Copa del Rey with Valencia CF
- 1978 Reached the peak of his powers at Valencia CF
- 1996 Retired after a final spell at Austria Vienna
- Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production, silverware and profile, the two finish within a whisker of each other. Call it a respectful draw — greatness of this calibre resists a single winner.
Too close to call — a respectful draw
