Jairzinho vs Teddy Sheringham: Stats Compared
Right Winger, Brazil (born 1944, retired 1982) · Striker, England (born 1966, retired 2008)
Put Jairzinho and Teddy Sheringham side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. 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 Teddy Sheringham's 320 from 900 at 0.36 per match. Add playmaking to the mix and Jairzinho laid on 60 goals, Teddy Sheringham 130. Trophy counts give Jairzinho 5 and Teddy Sheringham 4, with 2× FIFA World Cup (1962, 1970) and 1× UEFA Champions League (1999) the standout honours respectively. Where Jairzinho was a clinical presence in the box, Teddy Sheringham offered a predatory approach to goalscoring. Their routes to the top were distinct: Jairzinho built his reputation across Botafogo, Marseille, Cruzeiro, Portuguesa, Noroeste, peaking around 1970, while Teddy Sheringham reached his defining level around 1999 after spells with Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Colchester United. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
178 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 cerebral, late-developing striker, Sheringham scored the injury-time equaliser in Manchester United's 1999 Champions League final and remains the Premier League's oldest ever goalscorer.
“An intelligent, deep-dropping forward whose clever hold-up play and vision created space for quicker strike partners.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1999)
- 2× Premier League (1999, 2000)
- 1× FA Cup (1999)
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.
- 1984 Professional debut for Millwall
- 1999 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 1999 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Colchester United
- Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Jairzinho takes it by a clear margin.
Jairzinho edges it (a clear margin)
