Gary Lineker vs Javier Mascherano: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Defensive Midfielder, Argentina (born 1984, retired 2020)
The Gary Lineker–Javier Mascherano comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. The raw numbers read 330 goals in 567 outings for Gary Lineker (0.58/game), versus 15 in 700 for Javier Mascherano (0.02/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Gary Lineker is credited with 0 and Javier Mascherano with 20. Trophy counts give Gary Lineker 9 and Javier Mascherano 10, with 1× Copa del Rey (1988) and 2× UEFA Champions League (2011, 2015) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically Gary Lineker was ruthless where Javier Mascherano was silky — two vocabularies of the same sport. Club journeys add another layer, with Gary Lineker reaching his representative peak around 1986 across Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham and Javier Mascherano doing so around 2015 with River Plate, Corinthians, West Ham United, Liverpool, Barcelona, Hebei China Fortune, Estudiantes. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
180 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
Nicknamed 'El Jefecito' (the little chief), Mascherano converted from a combative box-to-box midfielder into one of the finest defensive midfielders of his generation.
“A fiercely competitive ball-winner whose tackling and reading of the game let him marshal both midfield and defence.”
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)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (2011, 2015)
- 4× La Liga (2013, 2015, 2016, 2018)
- 4× Copa del Rey (2012, 2015, 2016, 2017)
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
- 2003 Professional debut for River Plate
- 2011 Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona
- 2012 Won Copa del Rey with Barcelona
- 2015 Reached the peak of his powers at Barcelona
- 2020 Retired after a final spell at Estudiantes
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 700 appearances and 10 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 700 appearances and 10 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Gary Lineker is the choice: a narrow margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Gary Lineker edges it (a narrow margin)
