Cafu vs Mesut Özil: Stats Compared
Right-Back, Brazil (born 1970, retired 2008) · Attacking Midfielder, Germany (born 1988, retired 2023)
Comparing Cafu with Mesut Özil means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Strip away the highlights and the medal count tells its own story for each man. The raw numbers read 53 goals in 856 outings for Cafu (0.06/game), versus 114 in 645 for Mesut Özil (0.18/game). Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Trophy counts give Cafu 9 and Mesut Özil 8, with 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. One lifted trophies through commanding reliability, the other through incisive moments that decided finals. Club journeys add another layer, with Cafu reaching his representative peak around 2002 across São Paulo, Roma, Milan and Mesut Özil doing so around 2012 with Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahçe. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
156 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Marcos Evangelista de Morais (born 7 June 1970), known as Cafu, is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a right-back. Widely regarded as one of the greatest full-backs of all time, he was known for his pace and energetic attacking runs along the right flank. He is the most-capped player for the Brazil national team with 142 appearances.
“A relentless full-back whose running power and crossing made the flank a second engine.”
Mesut Özil is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation. Born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Özil began his senior club career playing for hometown club Schalke 04, before signing with Werder Bremen in 2008, aged 19.
“A left-footed chance creator whose weight of pass and scanning made assists look effortless.”
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
- 2× FIFA World Cup (1994, 2002)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1994 Established himself at São Paulo
- 1998 Reached his defining peak
- 2002 Delivered a landmark season
- 2008 Retired from professional football
- 2004 Established himself at Schalke
- 2008 Reached his defining peak
- 2012 Delivered a landmark season
- 2023 Retired from professional football
The verdict
If forced to pick, Cafu is the choice: a narrow margin, with remarkable longevity the deciding factor.
Cafu edges it (a narrow margin)
