Diego Maradona vs Raymond Kopa: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Forward, France (born 1931, retired 1967)
There is something timeless about weighing Diego Maradona against Raymond Kopa. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. On production alone, Diego Maradona posted 293 goals across 582 appearances while Raymond Kopa managed 150 across 450. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Raymond Kopa 5, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 3× European Cup (1957, 1958, 1959) the standout honours respectively. The forward / playmaker duties of Diego Maradona leaned ruthless; the forward responsibilities of Raymond Kopa leaned clinical. 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 Raymond Kopa reached his defining level around 1958 after spells with Angers, Reims, Real Madrid, Reims. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
163 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.”
France's first football superstar and 1958 Ballon d'Or winner, Kopa won three straight European Cups alongside Di Stéfano at Real Madrid before returning to lead Reims.
“A diminutive, dazzling dribbler and creator whose vision and close control made him the conductor of every attack he played in.”
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)
- 3× European Cup (1957, 1958, 1959)
- 2× Ligue 1 (1953, 1960)
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
- 1949 Professional debut for Angers
- 1957 Won European Cup with Real Madrid
- 1953 Won Ligue 1 with Reims
- 1958 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 1967 Retired after a final spell at Reims
- Finished his career with 150 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 150 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Diego Maradona is the choice: a decisive margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Diego Maradona edges it (a decisive margin)
