Esteban Cambiasso vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Argentina (born 1980, retired 2016) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Few debates split football fans quite like Esteban Cambiasso versus Clint Dempsey. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. On production alone, Esteban Cambiasso posted 60 goals across 620 appearances while Clint Dempsey managed 180 across 550. The assist columns read 55 for Esteban Cambiasso and 90 for Clint Dempsey where the record exists. The honours ledger favours Esteban Cambiasso with 7 major trophies (1× UEFA Champions League (2010)) against Clint Dempsey's 2 (1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)). One lifted trophies through silky reliability, the other through flair-driven moments that decided finals. The wider career context matters too: Esteban Cambiasso peaked around 2010 after representing River Plate, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Leicester City, Olympiacos, while Clint Dempsey's defining level came around 2012 across New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Any final judgment should account for the different tactical jobs, eras and competitive environments behind the totals, not simply reward the largest raw number. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
173 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
A tireless, tactically astute Argentine midfielder who anchored Inter's historic 2010 treble-winning side.
“A disciplined box-to-box midfielder with excellent positional sense and a surprising eye for a spectacular long-range goal.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable 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× UEFA Champions League (2010)
- 5× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2010)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1996 Professional debut for River Plate
- 2010 Won UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan
- 2010 Won FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Milan
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Inter Milan
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at Olympiacos
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours.
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Esteban Cambiasso takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Esteban Cambiasso edges it (a decisive margin)
