Paolo Rossi vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Striker, Italy (born 1956, retired 1987) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
The Paolo Rossi–Park Ji-sung comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Paolo Rossi finishes with 130 career goals from 350 games — a 0.37 strike rate — against Park Ji-sung's 60 from 550 at 0.11 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Paolo Rossi is credited with 0 and Park Ji-sung with 60. Trophy counts give Paolo Rossi 4 and Park Ji-sung 5, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1982) and 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) the standout honours respectively. Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Paolo Rossi explosive, Park Ji-sung incisive. The wider career context matters too: Paolo Rossi peaked around 1982 after representing Como, Vicenza, Perugia, Juventus, AC Milan, Hellas Verona, while Park Ji-sung's defining level came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
177 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
The Golden Ball and Golden Boot winner of the 1982 World Cup, Rossi's six goals in the finals — including a hat-trick against Brazil — remain one of the greatest individual tournaments in history.
“A sharp, instinctive poacher whose predatory movement inside the box made him deadly with limited touches.”
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 (1982)
- 2× Serie A (1982, 1984)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1984)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1976 Professional debut for Como
- 1982 Won FIFA World Cup with Juventus
- 1984 Won UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Juventus
- 1982 Reached the peak of his powers at Juventus
- 1987 Retired after a final spell at Hellas Verona
- Finished his career with 130 goals in 350 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 130 goals in 350 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 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
On balance Park Ji-sung edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by superior creative output.
Park Ji-sung edges it (a clear margin)
