Alfredo Di Stéfano vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Forward, Argentina (born 1926, retired 1966) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
Line up Alfredo Di Stéfano next to Park Ji-sung and the contrasts come quickly. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. The raw numbers read 511 goals in 698 outings for Alfredo Di Stéfano (0.73/game), versus 60 in 550 for Park Ji-sung (0.11/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Alfredo Di Stéfano is listed at 0 and Park Ji-sung at 60 where figures survive. Alfredo Di Stéfano departs the game with 15 major pieces of silverware, including 5× European Cup (1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960); Park Ji-sung with 5, including 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011). Alfredo Di Stéfano played with a ruthless that made him unmistakable; Park Ji-sung brought a intelligent that was equally his own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Alfredo Di Stéfano's landmark level arrived around 1958 with a career spanning River Plate, Millonarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol; Park Ji-sung's came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
188 words · comparison angle: style
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 Asian player to win the Champions League and reach a World Cup semi-final, Park was renowned for his tireless work rate and big-game performances for Manchester United.
“A relentless, selfless box-to-box midfielder whose stamina and tactical discipline made him invaluable in the biggest matches.”
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)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
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
- 2000 Professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga
- 2007 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 2008 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 2008 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Queens Park Rangers
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Alfredo Di Stéfano wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Alfredo Di Stéfano edges it (a decisive margin)
