Gary Lineker vs Bixente Lizarazu: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Left-Back, France (born 1969, retired 2006)
Line up Gary Lineker next to Bixente Lizarazu and the contrasts come quickly. Position shapes everything in football, and these two fulfilled very different briefs. By the end Gary Lineker had 330 goals from 567 caps and club outings; Bixente Lizarazu had 15 from 600. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Gary Lineker is listed at 0 and Bixente Lizarazu at 30 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Gary Lineker with 9 major trophies (1× Copa del Rey (1988)) against Bixente Lizarazu's 7 (1× FIFA World Cup (1998)). The striker duties of Gary Lineker leaned mercurial; the left-back responsibilities of Bixente Lizarazu leaned anticipatory. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Gary Lineker's landmark level arrived around 1986 with a career spanning Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham; Bixente Lizarazu's came around 2001 across Bordeaux, Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich, Marseille. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
164 words · comparison angle: role
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.”
A world judo champion off the pitch, Lizarazu was one of the finest left-backs of his generation, winning the World Cup, European Championship and Champions League with Bayern Munich.
“A compact, combative full-back whose low centre of gravity and stamina let him bomb up and down the flank all match.”
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 (1998)
- 1× UEFA European Championship (2000)
- 4× Bundesliga (1999, 2000, 2001, 2003)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2001)
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
- 1988 Professional debut for Bordeaux
- 1998 Won FIFA World Cup with Bayern Munich
- 2001 Won UEFA Champions League with Bayern Munich
- 2001 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Marseille
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 600 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 600 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Gary Lineker takes the verdict — a clear margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Gary Lineker edges it (a clear margin)
