Nemanja Vidić vs Bastian Schweinsteiger: Stats Compared
Centre-Back, Serbia (born 1981, retired 2016) · Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1984, retired 2019)
Comparing Nemanja Vidić with Bastian Schweinsteiger means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Trophies, more than goals, are how most supporters ultimately remember a career. Across his senior career Nemanja Vidić notched 29 goals in 518 appearances (0.06 per game), while Bastian Schweinsteiger recorded 99 in 657 (0.15 per game). Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. The honours ledger favours Nemanja Vidić with 8 major trophies (5× Premier League (2007–2013)) against Bastian Schweinsteiger's 18 (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)). One lifted trophies through resolute reliability, the other through silky moments that decided finals. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Nemanja Vidić's landmark level arrived around 2009 with a career spanning Red Star Belgrade, Spartak Moscow, Manchester United, Inter; Bastian Schweinsteiger's came around 2014 across Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chicago Fire. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
160 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Vidić is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he won 15 trophies and served as club captain. He is one of only five players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice, alongside Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.
“A fearless centre-back who dominated the air and treated every duel as a personal contest.”
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.”
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
- 5× Premier League (2007–2013)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2013)
- 8× Bundesliga
- 7× DFB-Pokal
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Established himself at Red Star Belgrade
- 2005 Reached his defining peak
- 2009 Delivered a landmark season
- 2016 Retired from professional football
- 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
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Bastian Schweinsteiger takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Bastian Schweinsteiger edges it (a decisive margin)
