Gary Lineker vs Bastian Schweinsteiger: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1984, retired 2019)
Comparing Gary Lineker with Bastian Schweinsteiger means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. 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 Bastian Schweinsteiger managed 99 across 657. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. In major honours Gary Lineker collected 9 — headlined by 1× Copa del Rey (1988) — whereas Bastian Schweinsteiger amassed 18, led by 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Gary Lineker scored with a explosive that defined his era, while Bastian Schweinsteiger's finishing carried a dictatorial all of its own. The wider career context matters too: Gary Lineker peaked around 1986 after representing Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham, while Bastian Schweinsteiger's defining level came around 2014 across Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chicago Fire. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
167 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.”
German midfielder who won the 2014 World Cup and eight Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.
“A converted winger turned midfield general whose tireless running and passing drove Bayern and Germany.”
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)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2013)
- 8× Bundesliga
- 7× DFB-Pokal
- 1× FA Cup (2016)
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
- 2002 Bayern Munich debut
- 2006 World Cup third-place on home soil
- 2010 Bayern Champions League final defeat in Madrid
- 2013 Won the treble under Jupp Heynckes
- 2014 World Cup winner, scored in the final bloodied
- 2015 Joined Manchester United
- 2017 Joined Chicago Fire in MLS
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Bastian Schweinsteiger takes it by a decisive margin.
Bastian Schweinsteiger edges it (a decisive margin)
