Edwin van der Sar vs Rui Costa: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Attacking Midfielder, Portugal (born 1972, retired 2008)
Edwin van der Sar versus Rui Costa is a clash of two unmistakable footballing identities. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. Across his senior career Edwin van der Sar notched 0 goals in 820 appearances (0.00 per game), while Rui Costa recorded 90 in 550 (0.16 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Edwin van der Sar is listed at 0 and Rui Costa at 100 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Edwin van der Sar with 9 major trophies (1× UEFA Champions League (2008)) against Rui Costa's 4 (2× Coppa Italia (1996, 2001)). One lifted trophies through authoritative reliability, the other through orchestrating moments that decided finals. The wider career context matters too: Edwin van der Sar peaked around 2008 after representing Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United, while Rui Costa's defining level came around 2000 across Benfica, Fiorentina, AC Milan, Benfica. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
174 words · comparison angle: trophies
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.”
A wonderfully elegant Portuguese playmaker, Rui Costa was the creative fulcrum of Fiorentina's late-90s side before winning the Champions League with AC Milan.
“A visionary, effortlessly stylish playmaker celebrated for his weighted through-balls and elegant range of passing.”
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)
- 2× Coppa Italia (1996, 2001)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2003)
- 1× Serie A (2004)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 Retired from professional football
- 1990 Professional debut for Benfica
- 1996 Won Coppa Italia with Fiorentina
- 2004 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Fiorentina
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Benfica
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Edwin van der Sar takes the verdict — a narrow margin, driven by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Edwin van der Sar edges it (a narrow margin)
