Diego Maradona vs Careca: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Striker, Brazil (born 1960, retired 1994)
Ask any fan to rank Diego Maradona above or below Careca and you will get a passionate answer. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. On production alone, Diego Maradona posted 293 goals across 582 appearances while Careca managed 300 across 600. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Diego Maradona is credited with 0 and Careca with 30. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Careca 4, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 2× Serie A (1987, 1990) the standout honours respectively. Diego Maradona scored with a ruthless that defined his era, while Careca's finishing carried a flair-driven all of its own. Club journeys add another layer, with Diego Maradona reaching his representative peak around 1986 across Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys and Careca doing so around 1988 with Guarani, São Paulo, Napoli, Kashima Antlers. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
177 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
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.”
Diego Maradona's strike partner at Napoli, Careca formed one of Serie A's most feared attacking duos, helping the club to its first two Scudetti.
“A sharp, technically excellent striker whose close combination play and clinical finishing perfectly complemented a more individualist strike partner.”
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)
- 2× Serie A (1987, 1990)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1989)
- 1× Coppa Italia (1987)
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
- 1978 Professional debut for Guarani
- 1987 Won Serie A with São Paulo
- 1987 Won Coppa Italia with São Paulo
- 1988 Reached the peak of his powers at Napoli
- 1994 Retired after a final spell at Kashima Antlers
- Finished his career with 300 goals in 600 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 300 goals in 600 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Diego Maradona takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a stronger all-round attribute profile.
Diego Maradona edges it (a decisive margin)
