Eusébio vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Striker, Portugal (born 1942, retired 1978) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
Set Eusébio alongside Miroslav Klose and the numbers start an argument of their own. Separated by their years at the top, each defined the football of their own generation. Across his senior career Eusébio notched 623 goals in 715 appearances (0.87 per game), while Miroslav Klose recorded 318 in 705 (0.45 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. Trophy counts give Eusébio 9 and Miroslav Klose 7, with 1× European Cup (1962) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. Eusébio belonged to the post-war golden age, dominating with a predatory quality; Miroslav Klose rose in the modern era with a explosive edge. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Eusébio's landmark level arrived around 1965 with a career spanning Benfica, Montréal Manic; Miroslav Klose's came around 2014 across Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
171 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" and "o Rei" ("the King"), was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time and Benfica’s greatest player. Known for his speed, technique, athleticism and right-footed shot, he became one of football’s most prolific goalscorers.
“A powerful, explosive striker who combined pace, technique and a thunderous shot.”
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
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× European Cup (1962)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1957 Established himself at Benfica
- 1961 Reached his defining peak
- 1965 Delivered a landmark season
- 1978 Retired from professional football
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Eusébio wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Eusébio edges it (a clear margin)
