Alfredo Di Stéfano vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Forward, Argentina (born 1926, retired 1966) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Ask any fan to rank Alfredo Di Stéfano above or below Clint Dempsey and you will get a passionate answer. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. By the end Alfredo Di Stéfano had 511 goals from 698 caps and club outings; Clint Dempsey had 180 from 550. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Alfredo Di Stéfano is credited with 0 and Clint Dempsey with 90. The honours ledger favours Alfredo Di Stéfano with 15 major trophies (5× European Cup (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)) against Clint Dempsey's 2 (1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)). Alfredo Di Stéfano belonged to the post-war golden age, dominating with a predatory quality; Clint Dempsey rose in the modern era with a predatory edge. The wider career context matters too: Alfredo Di Stéfano peaked around 1958 after representing River Plate, Millonarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol, while Clint Dempsey's defining level came around 2012 across New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
193 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Real Madrid legend and key figure of their five-consecutive European Cups; defined the modern total footballer role.
“An omnipresent forward who dropped deep to construct attacks before arriving in the box to finish them.”
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
- 5× European Cup (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960)
- 1× Intercontinental Cup (1960)
- 8× La Liga
- 1× Copa América (1947)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1945 River Plate debut
- 1947 Copa América winner with Argentina
- 1949 Moved to Millonarios in Colombia
- 1953 Signed for Real Madrid after a contested transfer
- 1956 First of five consecutive European Cups
- 1959 Won the first Ballon d'Or (Super Ballon d'Or) honoured later
- 1964 Left Real Madrid for Espanyol
- 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, Alfredo Di Stéfano takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Alfredo Di Stéfano edges it (a decisive margin)
