Daniele De Rossi vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Ask any fan to rank Daniele De Rossi above or below Per Mertesacker and you will get a passionate answer. Separated by their years at the top, each defined the football of their own generation. Daniele De Rossi finishes with 65 career goals from 700 games — a 0.09 strike rate — against Per Mertesacker's 15 from 550 at 0.03 per match. In chance creation, Daniele De Rossi tallied 60 assists to Per Mertesacker's 5. The honours ledger favours Daniele De Rossi with 3 major trophies (1× FIFA World Cup (2006)) against Per Mertesacker's 4 (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)). Daniele De Rossi belonged to the modern era, dominating with a silky quality; Per Mertesacker rose in the modern era with a commanding edge. The wider career context matters too: Daniele De Rossi peaked around 2013 after representing Roma, while Per Mertesacker's defining level came around 2014 across Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
165 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
A one-club legend and 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi embodied Roma's midfield for nearly two decades, combining ferocious tackling with a superb range of passing.
“A commanding, technically excellent deep-lying midfielder who mixed hard tackling with elegant long-range distribution.”
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
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)
- 2× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Professional debut for Roma
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with Roma
- 2007 Won Coppa Italia with Roma
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Roma
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Roma
- Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Daniele De Rossi takes it by a decisive margin.
Daniele De Rossi edges it (a decisive margin)
