Franco Baresi vs Ivan Rakitić: Stats Compared
Sweeper / Centre-Back, Italy (born 1960, retired 1997) · Central Midfielder, Croatia (born 1988, retired 2023)
Franco Baresi and Ivan Rakitić represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Reputations harden into legacies, and few careers cast longer shadows than these two. Franco Baresi finishes with 19 career goals from 800 games — a 0.02 strike rate — against Ivan Rakitić's 90 from 700 at 0.13 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Franco Baresi is listed at 0 and Ivan Rakitić at 90 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Franco Baresi with 18 major trophies (3× European Cup (1989, 1990, 1994)) against Ivan Rakitić's 6 (1× UEFA Champions League (2015)). Their legacies diverge in texture: Franco Baresi is remembered as uncompromising, Ivan Rakitić as silky. The wider career context matters too: Franco Baresi peaked around 1989 after representing AC Milan, while Ivan Rakitić's defining level came around 2015 across Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Sevilla, Hajduk Split. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
173 words · comparison angle: legacy
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 key architect of Barcelona's 2015 treble and Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final, Rakitić combined tireless work rate with excellent passing range.
“A tireless, technically composed box-to-box midfielder whose range of passing linked defence and attack seamlessly.”
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× UEFA Champions League (2015)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2014)
- 4× La Liga (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)
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
- 2005 Professional debut for Basel
- 2015 Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona
- 2015 Won La Liga with Barcelona
- 2015 Reached the peak of his powers at Barcelona
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Hajduk Split
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Franco Baresi is the choice: a decisive margin, with a weightier trophy cabinet the deciding factor.
Franco Baresi edges it (a decisive margin)
