Kaká vs Teddy Sheringham: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Brazil (born 1982, retired 2017) · Striker, England (born 1966, retired 2008)
Few debates split football fans quite like Kaká versus Teddy Sheringham. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. Career output puts Kaká at 237 goals in 594 games, with Teddy Sheringham at 320 in 900. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Kaká is listed at 0 and Teddy Sheringham at 130 where figures survive. Kaká departs the game with 6 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2002); Teddy Sheringham with 4, including 1× UEFA Champions League (1999). Across the turn of the millennium and the 1990s respectively, their incisive and clinical styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. The wider career context matters too: Kaká peaked around 2007 after representing São Paulo, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Orlando City, while Teddy Sheringham's defining level came around 1999 across Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Colchester United. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
178 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Brazilian attacking midfielder and 2007 Ballon d'Or winner; Champions League winner with AC Milan in 2007.
“A tall, graceful attacking midfielder who glided past defenders and finished with precision.”
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
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2002)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2007)
- 2× FIFA Confederations Cup (2005, 2009)
- 1× Serie A (2004)
- 1× La Liga (2012)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1999)
- 2× Premier League (1999, 2000)
- 1× FA Cup (1999)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 São Paulo breakthrough
- 2002 World Cup winner (limited role)
- 2003 Signed for AC Milan
- 2005 Lost the Champions League final in Istanbul
- 2007 Champions League winner and Ballon d'Or winner
- 2009 Record transfer to Real Madrid
- 2017 Retired at Orlando City
- 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
Weighing production against honours, Kaká takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a stronger all-round attribute profile.
Kaká edges it (a decisive margin)
