Diego Maradona vs Esteban Cambiasso: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Central Midfielder, Argentina (born 1980, retired 2016)
Diego Maradona versus Esteban Cambiasso is a clash of two unmistakable footballing identities. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. Diego Maradona finishes with 293 career goals from 582 games — a 0.50 strike rate — against Esteban Cambiasso's 60 from 620 at 0.10 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Diego Maradona is listed at 0 and Esteban Cambiasso at 55 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Esteban Cambiasso 7, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 1× UEFA Champions League (2010) the standout honours respectively. Diego Maradona built his medal haul through years of clinical consistency, while Esteban Cambiasso won his with creative bursts of brilliance. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Diego Maradona's landmark level arrived around 1986 with a career spanning Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys; Esteban Cambiasso's came around 2010 across River Plate, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Leicester City, Olympiacos. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
185 words · comparison angle: trophies
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 tireless, tactically astute Argentine midfielder who anchored Inter's historic 2010 treble-winning side.
“A disciplined box-to-box midfielder with excellent positional sense and a surprising eye for a spectacular long-range goal.”
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)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2010)
- 5× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2010)
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
- 1996 Professional debut for River Plate
- 2010 Won UEFA Champions League with Inter Milan
- 2010 Won FIFA Club World Cup with Inter Milan
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Inter Milan
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at Olympiacos
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 620 appearances and 7 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Diego Maradona takes it by a clear margin.
Diego Maradona edges it (a clear margin)
