Diego Maradona vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
The Diego Maradona–Park Ji-sung comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. Across his senior career Diego Maradona notched 293 goals in 582 appearances (0.50 per game), while Park Ji-sung recorded 60 in 550 (0.11 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Diego Maradona is listed at 0 and Park Ji-sung at 60 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Diego Maradona 6 and Park Ji-sung 5, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1986) and 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically Diego Maradona was clinical where Park Ji-sung was incisive — two vocabularies of the same sport. 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 Park Ji-sung's defining level came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
180 words · comparison angle: style
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 first Asian player to win the Champions League and reach a World Cup semi-final, Park was renowned for his tireless work rate and big-game performances for Manchester United.
“A relentless, selfless box-to-box midfielder whose stamina and tactical discipline made him invaluable in the biggest matches.”
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)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
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
- 2000 Professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga
- 2007 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 2008 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 2008 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Queens Park Rangers
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Diego Maradona takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Diego Maradona edges it (a decisive margin)
