Mario Kempes vs Daniele De Rossi: Stats Compared
Striker, Argentina (born 1954, retired 1996) · Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019)
Ask any fan to rank Mario Kempes above or below Daniele De Rossi and you will get a passionate answer. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. Mario Kempes finishes with 350 career goals from 600 games — a 0.58 strike rate — against Daniele De Rossi's 65 from 700 at 0.09 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Mario Kempes is listed at 0 and Daniele De Rossi at 60 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Mario Kempes with 3 major trophies (1× FIFA World Cup (1978)) against Daniele De Rossi's 3 (1× FIFA World Cup (2006)). Mario Kempes played with a clinical that made him unmistakable; Daniele De Rossi brought a dictatorial that was equally his own. Club journeys add another layer, with Mario Kempes reaching his representative peak around 1978 across Rosario Central, Valencia CF, River Plate, Valencia CF, Hércules CF, Austria Vienna and Daniele De Rossi doing so around 2013 with Roma. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
186 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
The talismanic top scorer of the 1978 World Cup, Kempes was Argentina's long-haired talisman and one of the first South American stars to shine in Spanish football.
“A powerful, direct forward who ran at defences from deep and finished with ferocious shooting power.”
A one-club legend and 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi embodied Roma's midfield for nearly two decades, combining ferocious tackling with a superb range of passing.
“A commanding, technically excellent deep-lying midfielder who mixed hard tackling with elegant long-range distribution.”
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 (1978)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1980)
- 1× Copa del Rey (1979)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1973 Professional debut for Rosario Central
- 1978 Won FIFA World Cup with Valencia CF
- 1979 Won Copa del Rey with Valencia CF
- 1978 Reached the peak of his powers at Valencia CF
- 1996 Retired after a final spell at Austria Vienna
- Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 350 goals in 600 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 2001 Professional debut for Roma
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with Roma
- 2007 Won Coppa Italia with Roma
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Roma
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Roma
- Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production, silverware and profile, the two finish within a whisker of each other. Call it a respectful draw — greatness of this calibre resists a single winner.
Too close to call — a respectful draw
