Gary Lineker vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
Ask any fan to rank Gary Lineker above or below Miroslav Klose and you will get a passionate answer. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. On production alone, Gary Lineker posted 330 goals across 567 appearances while Miroslav Klose managed 318 across 705. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Gary Lineker departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× Copa del Rey (1988); Miroslav Klose with 7, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Gary Lineker scored with a mercurial that defined his era, while Miroslav Klose's finishing carried a flair-driven all of its own. Their routes to the top were distinct: Gary Lineker built his reputation across Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham, peaking around 1986, while Miroslav Klose reached his defining level around 2014 after spells with Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
177 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Gary Winston Lineker (born 30 November 1960) is an English sports broadcaster, businessman, and former professional footballer who played as a striker. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation and one of England's greatest players, Lineker is the only player to have been the top goalscorer in England with three clubs: Leicester City, Everton, and Tottenham Hotspur. He also played for Barcelona in Spain, and won 80 caps for England.
“A model penalty-box striker whose timing and finishing were almost never wasted.”
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.”
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× Copa del Rey (1988)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1978 Established himself at Leicester City
- 1982 Reached his defining peak
- 1986 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 Retired from professional football
- 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
The verdict
On balance Gary Lineker edges the comparison. The margin is a narrow margin, decided mostly by consistency at the very highest level.
Gary Lineker edges it (a narrow margin)
