Steven Gerrard vs Ferenc Puskás: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, England (born 1980, retired 2016) · Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966)
Set Steven Gerrard alongside Ferenc Puskás and the numbers start an argument of their own. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. Across his senior career Steven Gerrard notched 212 goals in 860 appearances (0.25 per game), while Ferenc Puskás recorded 598 in 621 (0.96 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Steven Gerrard is listed at 155 and Ferenc Puskás at 0 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Steven Gerrard 8 and Ferenc Puskás 10, with 1× UEFA Champions League (2005) and 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966) the standout honours respectively. As a central midfielder Steven Gerrard bent the role to a creative template; as a forward, Ferenc Puskás redefined it with mercurial authority. The wider career context matters too: Steven Gerrard peaked around 2005 after representing Liverpool, LA Galaxy, while Ferenc Puskás's defining level came around 1960 across Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
174 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Liverpool captain who led the famous 2005 Champions League comeback in Istanbul; one-club man for most of his Premier League career.
“A dynamic box-to-box midfielder with a hammer of a right foot and a habit of dragging Liverpool back into games.”
Hungarian legend of the Magical Magyats and a Real Madrid galáctico; scorer of 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary.
“A barrel-chested left-footed finisher whose deadly striking powered Hungary's Golden Team.”
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× UEFA Champions League (2005)
- 1× UEFA Cup (2001)
- 2× FA Cup (2001, 2006)
- 3× EFL Cup (2001, 2003, 2012)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2001)
- 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)
- 5× La Liga
- 1× Olympic Gold Medal (1952)
- 1× Central European Cup (1953)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1998 Liverpool debut
- 2001 Won the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble
- 2003 Replaced Sami Hyypiä as Liverpool captain
- 2005 Lifted the Champions League in Istanbul
- 2006 Player of the match in the FA Cup final
- 2012 Captained Great Britain at the Olympics
- 2015 Left Liverpool for LA Galaxy
- 1943 Budapest Honvéd debut
- 1952 Olympic champion with Hungary
- 1953 Scored twice in the 6-3 win over England at Wembley
- 1956 Fled the Hungarian Revolution
- 1958 Joined Real Madrid
- 1960 Scored four goals in the European Cup final
- 1966 Retired from playing
The verdict
On balance Steven Gerrard edges the comparison. The margin is a narrow margin, decided mostly by superior creative output.
Steven Gerrard edges it (a narrow margin)
