Miroslav Klose vs Predrag Mijatović: Stats Compared
Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016) · Striker, Yugoslavia (born 1969, retired 2004)
Few debates split football fans quite like Miroslav Klose versus Predrag Mijatović. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. Miroslav Klose finishes with 318 career goals from 705 games — a 0.45 strike rate — against Predrag Mijatović's 210 from 500 at 0.42 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Miroslav Klose is listed at 0 and Predrag Mijatović at 30 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Miroslav Klose with 7 major trophies (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)) against Predrag Mijatović's 2 (1× UEFA Champions League (1998)). Miroslav Klose belonged to the modern era, dominating with a ruthless quality; Predrag Mijatović rose in the 1990s with a ruthless edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Miroslav Klose reaching his representative peak around 2014 across Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio and Predrag Mijatović doing so around 1998 with Budućnost Podgorica, Partizan, Valencia CF, Real Madrid, Fiorentina, Levante. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
182 words · comparison angle: era
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.”
Mijatović's decisive winning goal in the 1998 Champions League final ended Real Madrid's 32-year wait for the European Cup and remains one of the club's most iconic moments.
“A clever, mobile striker whose intelligent runs in behind and composed finishing produced goals in the biggest moments.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1998)
- 1× La Liga (1997)
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
- 1986 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1998 Won UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
- 1997 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 2004 Retired after a final spell at Levante
- Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 210 goals in 500 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)
