George Best vs Ferenc Puskás: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966)
When George Best and Ferenc Puskás are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. Career output puts George Best at 214 goals in 616 games, with Ferenc Puskás at 598 in 621. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. The honours ledger favours George Best with 5 major trophies (1× European Cup (1968)) against Ferenc Puskás's 10 (3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)). Stylistically George Best was predatory where Ferenc Puskás was mercurial — two vocabularies of the same sport. Their routes to the top were distinct: George Best built his reputation across Manchester United, Fulham, others, peaking around 1968, while Ferenc Puskás reached his defining level around 1960 after spells with Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
158 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
Hungarian legend of the Magical Magyats and a Real Madrid galáctico; scorer of 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary.
“A barrel-chested left-footed finisher whose deadly striking powered Hungary's Golden Team.”
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)
- 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)
- 5× La Liga
- 1× Olympic Gold Medal (1952)
- 1× Central European Cup (1953)
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
- 1943 Budapest Honvéd debut
- 1952 Olympic champion with Hungary
- 1953 Scored twice in the 6-3 win over England at Wembley
- 1956 Fled the Hungarian Revolution
- 1958 Joined Real Madrid
- 1960 Scored four goals in the European Cup final
- 1966 Retired from playing
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Ferenc Puskás takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Ferenc Puskás edges it (a decisive margin)
