Diego Maradona vs Luís Figo: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Winger, Portugal (born 1972, retired 2009)
When Diego Maradona and Luís Figo are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. Era matters in any comparison, and these two peaked under very different footballing conditions. On production alone, Diego Maradona posted 293 goals across 582 appearances while Luís Figo managed 144 across 737. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. The honours ledger favours Diego Maradona with 6 major trophies (1× FIFA World Cup (1986)) against Luís Figo's 12 (1× UEFA Champions League (2002)). Across the 1980s and the turn of the millennium respectively, their flair-driven and creative styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. 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 Luís Figo reached his defining level around 2000 after spells with Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
175 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.”
Portuguese winger and 2000 Ballon d'Or winner; won league titles in Spain and Italy at Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter.
“A right-wing dribbler with a trademark step-over and the capacity to deliver telling crosses all day.”
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 (2002)
- 4× La Liga (1998, 1999, 2001, 2003)
- 4× Serie A (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1997)
- 2× Copa del Rey (1997, 1998)
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
- 1989 Sporting CP debut
- 1995 Joined Barcelona
- 2000 Controversial transfer to Real Madrid
- 2000 Ballon d'Or winner
- 2002 Champions League winner with Real Madrid
- 2005 Signed for Inter Milan
- 2009 Retired at Inter Milan
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Luís Figo takes the verdict — a clear margin, driven by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Luís Figo edges it (a clear margin)
