Patrick Kluivert vs Djalma Santos: Stats Compared
Striker, Netherlands (born 1976, retired 2008) · Right-Back, Brazil (born 1929, retired 1968)
Comparing Patrick Kluivert with Djalma Santos means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Where pure finishing is concerned, this is a shootout between two of the most feared marksmen of their time. The raw numbers read 229 goals in 563 outings for Patrick Kluivert (0.41/game), versus 15 in 650 for Djalma Santos (0.02/game). Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Patrick Kluivert 8 and Djalma Santos 4, with 1× UEFA Champions League (1995) and 2× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962) the standout honours respectively. Patrick Kluivert scored with a explosive that defined his era, while Djalma Santos's finishing carried a resolute all of its own. The wider career context matters too: Patrick Kluivert peaked around 1999 after representing Ajax, Milan, Barcelona, Newcastle, Valencia, PSV, while Djalma Santos's defining level came around 1958 across Portuguesa, Palmeiras. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
166 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a Dutch football coach and former player. As a player, he played as a striker for Ajax, Barcelona and the Netherlands national team. He was part of Ajax's Golden Generation of the 1990s, scoring the winner in the 1995 UEFA Champions League Final at the age of 18.
“A technically polished striker who linked play beautifully and finished with either foot.”
A two-time World Cup winner who played until he was nearly 38, Djalma Santos was renowned for his positional discipline and elegant overlapping runs down the right flank.
“A composed, technically excellent full-back whose overlapping runs and crossing were decades ahead of his position's usual demands.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1995)
- 2× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962)
- 2× Campeonato Paulista (1959, 1963)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1991 Established himself at Ajax
- 1995 Reached his defining peak
- 1999 Delivered a landmark season
- 2008 Retired from professional football
- 1947 Professional debut for Portuguesa
- 1958 Won FIFA World Cup with Portuguesa
- 1959 Won Campeonato Paulista with Portuguesa
- 1958 Reached the peak of his powers at Portuguesa
- 1968 Retired after a final spell at Palmeiras
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Patrick Kluivert edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Patrick Kluivert edges it (a clear margin)
