Gianluigi Buffon vs Bastian Schweinsteiger: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023) · Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1984, retired 2019)
Put Gianluigi Buffon and Bastian Schweinsteiger side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. They belonged to different eras, which makes any direct comparison a test of imagination as much as statistics. The raw numbers read 1 goals in 1147 outings for Gianluigi Buffon (0.00/game), versus 99 in 657 for Bastian Schweinsteiger (0.15/game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. In major honours Gianluigi Buffon collected 15 — headlined by 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) — whereas Bastian Schweinsteiger amassed 18, led by 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Gianluigi Buffon belonged to the turn of the millennium, dominating with a reflex-sharp quality; Bastian Schweinsteiger rose in the modern era with a dictatorial edge. 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; Bastian Schweinsteiger's came around 2014 across Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chicago Fire. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
184 words · comparison angle: era
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.”
German midfielder who won the 2014 World Cup and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
“A converted winger turned midfield general whose tireless running and passing drove Bayern and Germany.”
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× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2013)
- 8× Bundesliga
- 7× DFB-Pokal
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
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
- 2002 Bayern Munich debut
- 2006 World Cup third-place on home soil
- 2010 Bayern Champions League final defeat in Madrid
- 2013 Won the treble under Jupp Heynckes
- 2014 World Cup winner, scored in the final bloodied
- 2015 Joined Manchester United
- 2017 Joined Chicago Fire in MLS
The verdict
On balance Bastian Schweinsteiger edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Bastian Schweinsteiger edges it (a decisive margin)
