Garrincha vs Paul Scholes: Stats Compared
Right Winger, Brazil (born 1933, retired 1972) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1974, retired 2013)
There is something timeless about weighing Garrincha against Paul Scholes. Position shapes everything in football, and these two fulfilled very different briefs. Career output puts Garrincha at 245 goals in 612 games, with Paul Scholes at 169 in 784. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Garrincha is listed at 0 and Paul Scholes at 75 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Garrincha 9 and Paul Scholes 17, with 2× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962) and 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008) the standout honours respectively. The right winger duties of Garrincha leaned flair-driven; the central midfielder responsibilities of Paul Scholes leaned intelligent. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Garrincha's landmark level arrived around 1962 with a career spanning Botafogo, Corinthians, Flamengo; Paul Scholes's came around 2008 across Manchester United. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
153 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Manuel Francisco dos Santos (28 October 1933 – 20 January 1983), nicknamed Mané Garrincha, best known as simply Garrincha, was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a right winger. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and by many, one of the greatest dribblers ever. Garrincha played a vital role in Brazil's 1958 and 1962 World Cup victories.
“A joyful dribbler whose balance and feints made the right flank his personal stage.”
Manchester United midfielder renowned for his passing range and vision; two-time Champions League winner.
“A short-sighted, single-touch midfielder whose passing range was unmatched in his generation.”
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
- 2× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008)
- 11× Premier League
- 3× FA Cup (1996, 1999, 2004)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1954 Established himself at Botafogo
- 1958 Reached his defining peak
- 1962 Delivered a landmark season
- 1972 Retired from professional football
- 1994 Manchester United debut
- 1996 First Premier League title
- 1999 Treble winner with Manchester United
- 2003 Briefly retired from England duty
- 2008 Second Champions League winner
- 2011 Came out of retirement to help Manchester United
- 2013 Retired for good at Manchester United
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Paul Scholes takes it by a decisive margin.
Paul Scholes edges it (a decisive margin)
