Franco Baresi vs Daniele De Rossi: Stats Compared
Sweeper / Centre-Back, Italy (born 1960, retired 1997) · Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019)
Set Franco Baresi alongside Daniele De Rossi and the numbers start an argument of their own. Comparing across positions is never straightforward, and these two asked different questions of opponents. Across his senior career Franco Baresi notched 19 goals in 800 appearances (0.02 per game), while Daniele De Rossi recorded 65 in 700 (0.09 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Franco Baresi is listed at 0 and Daniele De Rossi at 60 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Franco Baresi 18 and Daniele De Rossi 3, with 3× European Cup (1989, 1990, 1994) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) the standout honours respectively. The sweeper / centre-back duties of Franco Baresi leaned anticipatory; the central midfielder responsibilities of Daniele De Rossi leaned creative. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Franco Baresi's landmark level arrived around 1989 with a career spanning AC Milan; Daniele De Rossi's came around 2013 across Roma. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
176 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
AC Milan icon who spent his entire 20-year career at the club; three-time European Cup winner and 1994 World Cup finalist with Italy.
“A peerless sweeper whose reading, tackling and leadership built a defensive dynasty at Milan.”
A one-club legend and 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi embodied Roma's midfield for nearly two decades, combining ferocious tackling with a superb range of passing.
“A commanding, technically excellent deep-lying midfielder who mixed hard tackling with elegant long-range distribution.”
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
- 3× European Cup (1989, 1990, 1994)
- 6× Serie A (1979, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996)
- 4× Supercoppa Italiana
- 3× UEFA Super Cup
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1989, 1990)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1977 AC Milan debut aged 17
- 1979 First Scudetto with Milan
- 1980 Stayed at Milan in Serie B after the betting scandal
- 1989 First European Cup with Milan
- 1994 Won the Champions League conceding just 15 goals in 30 league games
- 1997 Retired aged 37 with the number 6 shirt retired in his honour
- 2001 Professional debut for Roma
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with Roma
- 2007 Won Coppa Italia with Roma
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Roma
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Roma
- Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Franco Baresi wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Franco Baresi edges it (a decisive margin)
