Roger Milla vs Dejan Savićević: Stats Compared
Striker, Cameroon (born 1952, retired 1994) · Attacking Midfielder, Yugoslavia (born 1966, retired 2001)
Roger Milla versus Dejan Savićević is a clash of two unmistakable footballing identities. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Roger Milla finishes with 150 career goals from 400 games — a 0.38 strike rate — against Dejan Savićević's 110 from 450 at 0.24 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Roger Milla is credited with 0 and Dejan Savićević with 70. The honours ledger favours Roger Milla with 3 major trophies (2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988)) against Dejan Savićević's 5 (1× European Cup (1991)). Roger Milla scored with a explosive that defined his era, while Dejan Savićević's finishing carried a incisive all of its own. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Roger Milla's landmark level arrived around 1990 with a career spanning Union Douala, Valenciennes, Monaco, Bastia, Saint-Étienne, Montpellier, JS Kabylie; Dejan Savićević's came around 1994 across Budućnost Podgorica, Red Star Belgrade, AC Milan, Rapid Wien. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
187 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
The exuberant hero of Cameroon's 1990 World Cup run, Milla became the oldest World Cup goalscorer at 42 and made his corner-flag dance world famous.
“A joyful, clever striker whose sharp movement and composure produced decisive goals late into his career.”
Nicknamed 'The Genius', Savićević was a mesmerising Montenegrin playmaker whose iconic lobbed goal in the 1994 Champions League final capped AC Milan's most dominant era.
“An audacious, unpredictable dribbler whose flair and outrageous invention made him one of the most watchable players of his generation.”
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
- 2× Africa Cup of Nations (1984, 1988)
- 1× Coupe de France (1981)
- 1× European Cup (1991)
- 3× Serie A (1993, 1994, 1996)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1974 Professional debut for Union Douala
- 1984 Won Africa Cup of Nations with Monaco
- 1981 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1990 Reached the peak of his powers at Montpellier
- 1994 Retired after a final spell at JS Kabylie
- Finished his career with 150 goals in 400 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 150 goals in 400 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 1982 Professional debut for Budućnost Podgorica
- 1991 Won European Cup with Red Star Belgrade
- 1994 Won UEFA Champions League with AC Milan
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at AC Milan
- 2001 Retired after a final spell at Rapid Wien
- Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 110 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Dejan Savićević takes the verdict — a clear margin, driven by superior creative output.
Dejan Savićević edges it (a clear margin)