Gary Lineker vs Mesut Özil: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Attacking Midfielder, Germany (born 1988, retired 2023)
The Gary Lineker–Mesut Özil comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Position shapes everything in football, and these two fulfilled very different briefs. Across his senior career Gary Lineker notched 330 goals in 567 appearances (0.58 per game), while Mesut Özil recorded 114 in 645 (0.18 per 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 Gary Lineker 9 and Mesut Özil 8, with 1× Copa del Rey (1988) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. The striker duties of Gary Lineker leaned clinical; the attacking midfielder responsibilities of Mesut Özil leaned intelligent. Club journeys add another layer, with Gary Lineker reaching his representative peak around 1986 across Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham and Mesut Özil doing so around 2012 with Schalke, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Fenerbahçe. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
162 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.”
Mesut Özil is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation. Born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Özil began his senior club career playing for hometown club Schalke 04, before signing with Werder Bremen in 2008, aged 19.
“A left-footed chance creator whose weight of pass and scanning made assists look effortless.”
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)
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
- 2004 Established himself at Schalke
- 2008 Reached his defining peak
- 2012 Delivered a landmark season
- 2023 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Mesut Özil takes it by a narrow margin.
Mesut Özil edges it (a narrow margin)
