Diego Maradona vs Landon Donovan: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Forward, United States (born 1982, retired 2016)
Ask any fan to rank Diego Maradona above or below Landon Donovan and you will get a passionate answer. Separated by their years at the top, each defined the football of their own generation. Career output puts Diego Maradona at 293 goals in 582 games, with Landon Donovan at 190 in 550. 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 Landon Donovan with 145. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Landon Donovan 9, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 6× MLS Cup (2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014) the standout honours respectively. Diego Maradona belonged to the 1980s, dominating with a mercurial quality; Landon Donovan rose in the modern era with a clinical edge. The wider career context matters too: Diego Maradona peaked around 1986 after representing Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys, while Landon Donovan's defining level came around 2010 across San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy, Everton, LA Galaxy. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
188 words · comparison angle: era
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.”
The USA's all-time leading scorer for club and country until his retirement, Donovan was the face of American soccer through three World Cups, capped by his dramatic stoppage-time winner against Algeria in 2010.
“A quick, clever forward whose intelligent movement and clinical finishing made him the USA's most decorated attacking player.”
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)
- 6× MLS Cup (2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014)
- 3× CONCACAF Gold Cup (2002, 2005, 2007)
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
- 2001 Professional debut for San Jose Earthquakes
- 2001 Won MLS Cup with San Jose Earthquakes
- 2002 Won CONCACAF Gold Cup with San Jose Earthquakes
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at LA Galaxy
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at LA Galaxy
- Finished his career with 190 goals in 550 appearances and 9 major honours. Finished his career with 190 goals in 550 appearances and 9 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Diego Maradona edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Diego Maradona edges it (a decisive margin)
