David Villa vs Roger Milla: Stats Compared
Striker, Spain (born 1981, retired 2020) · Striker, Cameroon (born 1952, retired 1994)
Ask any fan to rank David Villa above or below Roger Milla and you will get a passionate answer. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. Across his senior career David Villa notched 376 goals in 752 appearances (0.50 per game), while Roger Milla recorded 150 in 400 (0.38 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. David Villa departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2010); Roger Milla with 3, including 2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988). The striker duties of David Villa leaned mercurial; the striker responsibilities of Roger Milla leaned predatory. Context beyond the headline totals is important: David Villa's landmark level arrived around 2010 with a career spanning Sporting Gijón, Valencia, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid; Roger Milla's came around 1990 across Union Douala, Valenciennes, Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Étienne, Montpellier, JS Kabylie. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
179 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
David Villa Sánchez is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation, Villa is the all-time top goalscorer of the Spain national team. He is currently the vice-president of Spanish Tercera Federación club CF Benidorm and a member of the Board of Directors of La Liga club Atlético Madrid.
“A two-footed finisher who attacked channels intelligently and struck cleanly from distance.”
The exuberant hero of Cameroon's 1990 World Cup run, Milla became the oldest World Cup goalscorer at 42 and made his corner-flag dance world famous.
“A joyful, clever striker whose sharp movement and composure produced decisive goals late into his career.”
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 (2010)
- 2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988)
- 1× Coupe de France (1981)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2002 Established himself at Sporting Gijón
- 2006 Reached his defining peak
- 2010 Delivered a landmark season
- 2020 Retired from professional football
- 1974 Professional debut for Union Douala
- 1984 Won Africa Cup of Nations with Monaco
- 1981 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1990 Reached the peak of his powers at Montpellier
- 1994 Retired after a final spell at JS Kabylie
- Finished his career with 150 goals in 400 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 150 goals in 400 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but David Villa wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
David Villa edges it (a decisive margin)
