Gianluigi Buffon vs Davor Šuker: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Italy (born 1978, retired 2023) · Striker, Croatia (born 1968, retired 2003)
Gianluigi Buffon and Davor Šuker represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Separated by their years at the top, each defined the football of their own generation. Across his senior career Gianluigi Buffon notched 1 goals in 1147 appearances (0.00 per game), while Davor Šuker recorded 273 in 526 (0.52 per 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 Davor Šuker amassed 8, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (1998). Across the turn of the millennium and the 1990s respectively, their imposing and predatory styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. 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; Davor Šuker's came around 1998 across Osijek, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Arsenal, West Ham. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
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.”
Davor Šuker is a Croatian football administrator and former professional player who played as a striker. He served as the president of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) from 2012 to 2021. Šuker is generally regarded as the greatest Croatian striker of all time with a record 45 goals in 68 matches.
“A left-footed finisher with delicate touch, clever movement and a taste for spectacular goals.”
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 (1998)
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
- 1990 Established himself at Osijek
- 1994 Reached his defining peak
- 1998 Delivered a landmark season
- 2003 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Gianluigi Buffon takes the verdict — a narrow margin, driven by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Gianluigi Buffon edges it (a narrow margin)
