Diego Maradona vs Sergio Agüero: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Striker, Argentina (born 1988, retired 2021)
There is something timeless about weighing Diego Maradona against Sergio Agüero. Position shapes everything in football, and these two fulfilled very different briefs. Across his senior career Diego Maradona notched 293 goals in 582 appearances (0.50 per game), while Sergio Agüero recorded 427 in 700 (0.61 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Diego Maradona is listed at 0 and Sergio Agüero at 110 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Sergio Agüero 10, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 5× Premier League (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021) the standout honours respectively. The forward / playmaker duties of Diego Maradona leaned ruthless; the striker responsibilities of Sergio Agüero leaned ruthless. Their routes to the top were distinct: Diego Maradona built his reputation across Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys, peaking around 1986, while Sergio Agüero reached his defining level around 2014 after spells with Independiente, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City, Barcelona. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
185 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Argentine legend who almost single-handedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup and transformed Napoli into Italian and European contenders.
“A low-centre-of-gravity left-footed genius whose dribbling and playmaking carried teams single-handedly.”
A clinical, ice-cool Argentine striker who scored Manchester City's most dramatic title-winning goal and became the club's all-time top scorer.
“A low, powerful, instinctive finisher with explosive acceleration in the box and a knack for the biggest moments.”
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× FIFA World Cup (1986)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1989)
- 2× Serie A (1987, 1990)
- 1× Copa Italia (1987)
- 1× Argentine Primera División (1981)
- 5× Premier League (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2010)
- 4× League Cup (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1976 Argentinos Juniors debut ten days before his 16th birthday
- 1981 Joined Boca Juniors and won the Argentine league
- 1982 World-record transfer to Barcelona
- 1984 Signed for Napoli for another world-record fee
- 1987 Led Napoli to their first ever Serie A title
- 1990 Captained Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final
- 1997 Played his final professional matches at Boca Juniors
- 2003 Professional debut for Independiente
- 2012 Won Premier League with Manchester City
- 2014 Won League Cup with Manchester City
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester City
- 2021 Retired after a final spell at Barcelona
- Finished his career with 427 goals in 700 appearances and 10 major honours. Finished his career with 427 goals in 700 appearances and 10 major honours.
The verdict
The numbers give Sergio Agüero the lead — a narrow margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Sergio Agüero edges it (a narrow margin)
