Pelé vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Forward, Brazil (born 1940, retired 1977) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
When Pelé and Paul Ince are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. It is in how they played, rather than what they won, that the comparison gets interesting. Career output puts Pelé at 757 goals in 812 games, with Paul Ince at 90 in 650. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Pelé is listed at 0 and Paul Ince at 60 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Pelé 14 and Paul Ince 4, with 3× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970) and 2× Premier League (1993, 1994) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically Pelé was mercurial where Paul Ince was incisive — two vocabularies of the same sport. Their routes to the top were distinct: Pelé built his reputation across Santos, New York Cosmos, peaking around 1970, while Paul Ince reached his defining level around 1994 after spells with West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. The honest conclusion is that comparison enriches appreciation rather than crowns a single winner.
179 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, Pelé is the only player to win three FIFA World Cups. FIFA recognises 757 official senior career goals (1,281 including friendlies).
“A two-footed, athletic forward who combined explosive pace, aerial ability and extraordinary vision.”
The first Black player to captain England, Ince was a combative, driving midfielder at the heart of Manchester United's early Premier League dominance.
“An aggressive, all-action midfielder whose tackling and late runs into the box made him a formidable box-to-box presence.”
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
- 3× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970)
- 2× Copa Libertadores (1962, 1963)
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1962, 1963)
- 6× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- 1× NASL Soccer Bowl (1977)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1956 Professional debut for Santos aged 15
- 1958 Became youngest World Cup goalscorer at 17
- 1959 Top scorer in the Campeonato Brasileiro
- 1962 Won second World Cup despite injury in the final
- 1969 Scored his 1,000th career goal
- 1975 Came out of semi-retirement to join New York Cosmos
- 1977 Honoured at Pelé Day halftime show at Giants Stadium
- 1986 Professional debut for West Ham United
- 1993 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 1990 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Swindon Town
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Pelé takes it by a decisive margin.
Pelé edges it (a decisive margin)
