George Best vs Dejan Savićević: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Attacking Midfielder, Yugoslavia (born 1966, retired 2001)
George Best and Dejan Savićević represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. On production alone, George Best posted 214 goals across 616 appearances while Dejan Savićević managed 110 across 450. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — George Best is listed at 0 and Dejan Savićević at 70 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours George Best with 5 major trophies (1× European Cup (1968)) against Dejan Savićević's 5 (1× European Cup (1991)). Stylistically George Best was ruthless where Dejan Savićević was orchestrating — two vocabularies of the same sport. Context beyond the headline totals is important: George Best's landmark level arrived around 1968 with a career spanning Manchester United, Fulham, others; Dejan Savićević's came around 1994 across Budućnost Podgorica, Red Star Belgrade, AC Milan, Rapid Wien. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
168 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.”
Nicknamed 'The Genius', Savićević was a mesmerising Montenegrin playmaker whose iconic lobbed goal in the 1994 Champions League final capped AC Milan's most dominant era.
“An audacious, unpredictable dribbler whose flair and outrageous invention made him one of the most watchable players of his generation.”
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× European Cup (1991)
- 3× Serie A (1993, 1994, 1996)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1994)
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
- 1982 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1991 Won European Cup with Red Star Belgrade
- 1994 Won UEFA Champions League with AC Milan
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at AC Milan
- 2001 Retired after a final spell at Rapid Wien
- Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but George Best wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
George Best edges it (a clear margin)
