George Best vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
George Best versus Clint Dempsey is a clash of two unmistakable footballing identities. Long after the final whistle, what lingers is influence, and each man reshaped his corner of the game. Across his senior career George Best notched 214 goals in 616 appearances (0.35 per game), while Clint Dempsey recorded 180 in 550 (0.33 per game). 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 Clint Dempsey with 90. George Best departs the game with 5 major pieces of silverware, including 1× European Cup (1968); Clint Dempsey with 2, including 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014). History will file George Best under mercurial greatness and Clint Dempsey under explosive greatness — different shelves, same temple. Club journeys add another layer, with George Best reaching his representative peak around 1968 across Manchester United, Fulham, others and Clint Dempsey doing so around 2012 with New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
180 words · comparison angle: legacy
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.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable goals.”
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× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
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
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give George Best the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a weightier trophy cabinet.
George Best edges it (a decisive margin)
