Gary Lineker vs Raúl: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Striker, Spain (born 1977, retired 2015)
Gary Lineker and Raúl represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Different decades shaped different demands, and both adapted to theirs brilliantly. Across his senior career Gary Lineker notched 330 goals in 567 appearances (0.58 per game), while Raúl recorded 432 in 1032 (0.42 per game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. The honours ledger favours Gary Lineker with 9 major trophies (1× Copa del Rey (1988)) against Raúl's 16 (3× UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)). Across the 1980s and the turn of the millennium respectively, their clinical and predatory styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. The wider career context matters too: Gary Lineker peaked around 1986 after representing Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham, while Raúl's defining level came around 2002 across Real Madrid, Schalke 04, Al Sadd, New York Cosmos. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
176 words · comparison angle: era
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.”
Real Madrid legend who captained the club to three Champions League titles; held the all-time Champions League goals record before Messi and Ronaldo surpassed him.
“An intelligent, tireless forward whose movement off the ball created chances for himself and others.”
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)
- 3× UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)
- 6× La Liga
- 4× Supercopa de España
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1998, 2002)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2002)
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
- 1994 Real Madrid debut aged 17
- 1996 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Champions League winner at 20
- 2000 Champions League winner, top scorer in the tournament
- 2003 Became Real Madrid captain
- 2010 Left Real Madrid after 16 years at the club
- 2015 Retired at New York Cosmos
The verdict
The numbers give Raúl the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Raúl edges it (a decisive margin)
