Luis Suárez vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Spain (born 1935, retired 1973) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
There is something timeless about weighing Luis Suárez against Park Ji-sung. Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. Luis Suárez finishes with 198 career goals from 474 games — a 0.42 strike rate — against Park Ji-sung's 60 from 550 at 0.11 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Luis Suárez is credited with 0 and Park Ji-sung with 60. The honours ledger favours Luis Suárez with 9 major trophies (2× European Cup (1964, 1965)) against Park Ji-sung's 5 (4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Luis Suárez dictatorial, Park Ji-sung silky. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Luis Suárez's landmark level arrived around 1964 with a career spanning Deportivo, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria; Park Ji-sung's came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
171 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Luis Suárez Miramontes was a Spanish professional footballer and manager. He played as a midfielder for Deportivo de La Coruña, España Industrial, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Sampdoria; he also represented the Spain national team between 1957 and 1972. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Spanish football players of all time, Suárez was noted for his elegant and fluid style of play and also regarded to be one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the sport.
“A cultured interior who saw passing lanes early and dictated matches with elegant control.”
The first Asian player to win the Champions League and reach a World Cup semi-final, Park was renowned for his tireless work rate and big-game performances for Manchester United.
“A relentless, selfless box-to-box midfielder whose stamina and tactical discipline made him invaluable in the biggest matches.”
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
- 2× European Cup (1964, 1965)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1956 Established himself at Deportivo
- 1960 Reached his defining peak
- 1964 Delivered a landmark season
- 1973 Retired from professional football
- 2000 Professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga
- 2007 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 2008 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 2008 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Queens Park Rangers
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Luis Suárez is the choice: a decisive margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Luis Suárez edges it (a decisive margin)
