Clint Dempsey vs Ali Daei: Stats Compared
Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018) · Striker, Iran (born 1969, retired 2007)
Put Clint Dempsey and Ali Daei side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. By the end Clint Dempsey had 180 goals from 550 caps and club outings; Ali Daei had 200 from 400. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Clint Dempsey is listed at 90 and Ali Daei at 0 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Clint Dempsey with 2 major trophies (1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)) against Ali Daei's 4 (3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993)). Clint Dempsey played with a clinical that made him unmistakable; Ali Daei brought a predatory that was equally his own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Clint Dempsey's landmark level arrived around 2012 with a career spanning New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders; Ali Daei's came around 1999 across Persepolis, Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, Hertha BSC, Al-Sadd, Saba Qom. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
177 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
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.”
The all-time leading international goalscorer for over a decade with 109 goals, Daei was Asia's most feared centre-forward through the 1990s and 2000s.
“A physically imposing, clinical target man dominant in the air and lethal in front of goal.”
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× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
- 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993)
- 1× Hazfi Cup (1993)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 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.
- 1988 Professional debut for Persepolis
- 1990 Won Iranian Football League with Persepolis
- 1993 Won Hazfi Cup with Persepolis
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2007 Retired after a final spell at Saba Qom
- Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Ali Daei the lead — a narrow margin, courtesy of consistency at the very highest level.
Ali Daei edges it (a narrow margin)
