George Weah vs Ali Daei: Stats Compared
Striker, Liberia (born 1966, retired 2003) · Striker, Iran (born 1969, retired 2007)
The George Weah–Ali Daei comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Long after the final whistle, what lingers is influence, and each man reshaped his corner of the game. Across his senior career George Weah notched 230 goals in 460 appearances (0.50 per game), while Ali Daei recorded 200 in 400 (0.50 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — George Weah is listed at 60 and Ali Daei at 0 where figures survive. Trophy counts give George Weah 3 and Ali Daei 4, with 2× Serie A (1996, 1999) and 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993) the standout honours respectively. History will file George Weah under mercurial greatness and Ali Daei under explosive greatness — different shelves, same temple. The wider career context matters too: George Weah peaked around 1995 after representing Tonnerre Yaoundé, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille, Al Jazira, while Ali Daei's defining level came around 1999 across Persepolis, Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, Hertha BSC, Al-Sadd, Saba Qom. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
192 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
The only African and Liberian ever to win the Ballon d'Or, Weah was a rare striker capable of running the length of the pitch to score, before later becoming Liberia's president.
“A powerful, quick target man with surprising close control, famous for driving solo runs the length of the field.”
The all-time leading international goalscorer for over a decade with 109 goals, Daei was Asia's most feared centre-forward through the 1990s and 2000s.
“A physically imposing, clinical target man dominant in the air and lethal in front of goal.”
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
- 2× Serie A (1996, 1999)
- 1× Coupe de France (1991)
- 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993)
- 1× Hazfi Cup (1993)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1986 Professional debut for Tonnerre Yaoundé
- 1996 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 1991 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1995 Reached the peak of his powers at Paris Saint-Germain
- 2003 Retired after a final spell at Al Jazira
- Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 1988 Professional debut for Persepolis
- 1990 Won Iranian Football League with Persepolis
- 1993 Won Hazfi Cup with Persepolis
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2007 Retired after a final spell at Saba Qom
- Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
On balance George Weah edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by superior creative output.
George Weah edges it (a clear margin)
