Gianluigi Buffon vs Steven Gerrard: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1980, retired 2016)
Few debates split football fans quite like Gianluigi Buffon versus Steven Gerrard. Legacy is the only real measure that outlives the numbers, and both have staked towering claims. Gianluigi Buffon finishes with 1 career goals from 1147 games — a 0.00 strike rate — against Steven Gerrard's 212 from 860 at 0.25 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Gianluigi Buffon is credited with 0 and Steven Gerrard with 155. Trophy counts give Gianluigi Buffon 15 and Steven Gerrard 8, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) and 1× UEFA Champions League (2005) the standout honours respectively. Their legacies diverge in texture: Gianluigi Buffon is remembered as imposing, Steven Gerrard as intelligent. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Gianluigi Buffon's landmark level arrived around 2006 with a career spanning Parma, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Parma; Steven Gerrard's came around 2005 across Liverpool, LA Galaxy. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
171 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
Italian goalkeeper and the most capped Italian player of all time; 2006 World Cup winner and ten-time Serie A champion.
“An authoritative, athletic keeper whose longevity made him the most-capped goalkeeper in history.”
Liverpool captain who led the famous 2005 Champions League comeback in Istanbul; one-club man for most of his Premier League career.
“A dynamic box-to-box midfielder with a hammer of a right foot and a habit of dragging Liverpool back into games.”
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× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 10× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 1× UEFA Cup (1999)
- 1× Ligue 1 (2019)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2005)
- 1× UEFA Cup (2001)
- 2× FA Cup (2001, 2006)
- 3× EFL Cup (2001, 2003, 2012)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2001)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1995 Parma debut
- 2001 World-record keeper transfer to Juventus
- 2003 Lost the Champions League final on penalties
- 2006 World Cup winner with Italy
- 2018 Joined Paris Saint-Germain
- 2019 Returned to Juventus
- 2023 Scored a career goal for Parma in Serie B
- 1998 Liverpool debut
- 2001 Won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble
- 2003 Replaced Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain
- 2005 Lifted the Champions League in Istanbul
- 2006 Player of the match in the FA Cup final
- 2012 Captained Great Britain at the Olympics
- 2015 Left Liverpool for LA Galaxy
The verdict
If forced to pick, Steven Gerrard is the choice: a clear margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Steven Gerrard edges it (a clear margin)
