George Best vs Alfredo Di Stéfano: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Forward, Argentina (born 1926, retired 1966)
There is something timeless about weighing George Best against Alfredo Di Stéfano. Long after the final whistle, what lingers is influence, and each man reshaped his corner of the game. The raw numbers read 214 goals in 616 outings for George Best (0.35/game), versus 511 in 698 for Alfredo Di Stéfano (0.73/game). Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. George Best departs the game with 5 major pieces of silverware, including 1× European Cup (1968); Alfredo Di Stéfano with 15, including 5× European Cup (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960). History will file George Best under explosive greatness and Alfredo Di Stéfano under clinical greatness — different shelves, same temple. The wider career context matters too: George Best peaked around 1968 after representing Manchester United, Fulham, others, while Alfredo Di Stéfano's defining level came around 1958 across River Plate, Millonarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
172 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.”
Real Madrid legend and key figure of their five-consecutive European Cups; defined the modern total footballer role.
“An omnipresent forward who dropped deep to construct attacks before arriving in the box to finish them.”
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)
- 5× European Cup (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)
- 1× Intercontinental Cup (1960)
- 8× La Liga
- 1× Copa América (1947)
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
- 1945 River Plate debut
- 1947 Copa América winner with Argentina
- 1949 Moved to Millonarios in Colombia
- 1953 Signed for Real Madrid after a contested transfer
- 1956 First of five consecutive European Cups
- 1959 Won the first Ballon d'Or (Super Ballon d'Or) honoured later
- 1964 Left Real Madrid for Espanyol
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Alfredo Di Stéfano takes it by a decisive margin.
Alfredo Di Stéfano edges it (a decisive margin)
