George Best vs Esteban Cambiasso: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Central Midfielder, Argentina (born 1980, retired 2016)
When George Best and Esteban Cambiasso are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. Where pure finishing is concerned, this is a shootout between two of the most feared marksmen of their time. By the end George Best had 214 goals from 616 caps and club outings; Esteban Cambiasso had 60 from 620. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, George Best is credited with 0 and Esteban Cambiasso with 55. George Best departs the game with 5 major pieces of silverware, including 1× European Cup (1968); Esteban Cambiasso with 7, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2010). Where George Best was a mercurial presence in the box, Esteban Cambiasso offered a dictatorial approach to goalscoring. Club journeys add another layer, with George Best reaching his representative peak around 1968 across Manchester United, Fulham, others and Esteban Cambiasso doing so around 2010 with River Plate, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Leicester City, Olympiacos. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
177 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Northern Irish winger and Manchester United icon; Ballon d'Or winner in 1968 after helping Manchester United win their first European Cup.
“A balance-perfect winger who combined dribbling flair with an eye for goal and a rock-star aura.”
A tireless, tactically astute Argentine midfielder who anchored Inter's historic 2010 treble-winning side.
“A disciplined box-to-box midfielder with excellent positional sense and a surprising eye for a spectacular long-range 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
- 1× European Cup (1968)
- 2× English First Division (1965, 1967)
- 2× FA Charity Shield (1965, 1967)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2010)
- 5× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2010)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1963 Manchester United debut aged 17
- 1965 First English First Division title
- 1968 European Cup winner and Ballon d'Or winner
- 1968 Joint top scorer in the First Division
- 1972 Brief retirement then return to Manchester United
- 1974 Left Manchester United
- 1984 Made final professional appearances in the United States
- 1996 Professional debut for River Plate
- 2010 Won UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan
- 2010 Won FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Milan
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Inter Milan
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at Olympiacos
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, George Best takes the verdict — a narrow margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
George Best edges it (a narrow margin)
