Miroslav Klose vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Few debates split football fans quite like Miroslav Klose versus Clint Dempsey. Silverware is the currency of legacy, and both players filled cabinets that few can rival. The raw numbers read 318 goals in 705 outings for Miroslav Klose (0.45/game), versus 180 in 550 for Clint Dempsey (0.33/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Miroslav Klose is listed at 0 and Clint Dempsey at 90 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Miroslav Klose 7 and Clint Dempsey 2, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) and 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014) the standout honours respectively. One lifted trophies through mercurial reliability, the other through mercurial moments that decided finals. Club journeys add another layer, with Miroslav Klose reaching his representative peak around 2014 across Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio and Clint Dempsey doing so around 2012 with New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
168 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable goals.”
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 (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Miroslav Klose wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Miroslav Klose edges it (a decisive margin)
