Zico vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Brazil (born 1953, retired 1994) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Put Zico and Paul Ince side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. By the end Zico had 525 goals from 732 caps and club outings; Paul Ince had 90 from 650. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Zico is credited with 0 and Paul Ince with 60. The honours ledger favours Zico with 9 major trophies (4× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A) against Paul Ince's 4 (2× Premier League (1993, 1994)). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Zico creative, Paul Ince incisive. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Zico's landmark level arrived around 1981 with a career spanning Flamengo, Udinese, Kashima Antlers; Paul Ince's came around 1994 across West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
164 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico, is a Brazilian football coach and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. A creative playmaker with excellent technical skills, vision and an eye for goal, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and also considered one of the best free kick specialists in history. According to one estimate, Zico has scored the most direct free kicks in history, with 101 goals including friendlies, among which 62 are verified in official games.
“A free-kick artist and incisive number ten whose final pass arrived before defenders could react.”
The first Black player to captain England, Ince was a combative, driving midfielder at the heart of Manchester United's early Premier League dominance.
“An aggressive, all-action midfielder whose tackling and late runs into the box made him a formidable box-to-box presence.”
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
- 4× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1973 Established himself at Flamengo
- 1977 Reached his defining peak
- 1981 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 Retired from professional football
- 1986 Professional debut for West Ham United
- 1993 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 1990 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Swindon Town
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Zico takes it by a decisive margin.
Zico edges it (a decisive margin)
