Gary Lineker vs George Weah: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1960, retired 1994) · Striker, Liberia (born 1966, retired 2003)
Put Gary Lineker and George Weah side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. Gary Lineker finishes with 330 career goals from 567 games — a 0.58 strike rate — against George Weah's 230 from 460 at 0.50 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Gary Lineker is listed at 0 and George Weah at 60 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Gary Lineker with 9 major trophies (1× Copa del Rey (1988)) against George Weah's 3 (2× Serie A (1996, 1999)). Stylistically Gary Lineker was predatory where George Weah was clinical — 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 George Weah doing so around 1995 with Tonnerre Yaoundé, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille, Al Jazira. 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.”
The only African and Liberian ever to win the Ballon d'Or, Weah was a rare striker capable of running the length of the pitch to score, before later becoming Liberia's president.
“A powerful, quick target man with surprising close control, famous for driving solo runs the length of the field.”
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× Serie A (1996, 1999)
- 1× Coupe de France (1991)
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
- 1986 Professional debut for Tonnerre Yaoundé
- 1996 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 1991 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1995 Reached the peak of his powers at Paris Saint-Germain
- 2003 Retired after a final spell at Al Jazira
- Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 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)
