Jairzinho vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Right Winger, Brazil (born 1944, retired 1982) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Line up Jairzinho next to Per Mertesacker and the contrasts come quickly. Where pure finishing is concerned, this is a shootout between two of the most feared marksmen of their time. Jairzinho finishes with 350 career goals from 650 games — a 0.54 strike rate — against Per Mertesacker's 15 from 550 at 0.03 per match. The assist columns read 60 for Jairzinho and 5 for Per Mertesacker where the record exists. The honours ledger favours Jairzinho with 5 major trophies (2× FIFA World Cup (1962, 1970)) against Per Mertesacker's 4 (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)). Jairzinho scored with a ruthless that defined his era, while Per Mertesacker's finishing carried a commanding all of its own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Jairzinho's landmark level arrived around 1970 with a career spanning Botafogo, Marseille, Cruzeiro, Portuguesa, Noroeste; Per Mertesacker's came around 2014 across Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
164 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
The only man to score in every match of a World Cup-winning campaign (1970), Jairzinho was the explosive right winger of Brazil's most celebrated side.
“A powerful, direct winger who combined electric pace with a thunderous shot, terrorising full-backs down the right flank.”
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
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 (1962, 1970)
- 3× Campeonato Carioca (1962, 1967, 1968)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1959 Professional debut for Botafogo
- 1962 Won FIFA World Cup with Botafogo
- 1962 Won Campeonato Carioca with Botafogo
- 1970 Reached the peak of his powers at Botafogo
- 1982 Retired after a final spell at Noroeste
- Finished his career with 350 goals in 650 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 350 goals in 650 appearances and 5 major honours.
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Jairzinho is the choice: a decisive margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Jairzinho edges it (a decisive margin)
