Pelé vs Lothar Matthäus: Stats Compared
Forward, Brazil (born 1940, retired 1977) · Central Midfielder, Germany (born 1961, retired 2000)
Comparing Pelé with Lothar Matthäus means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. The raw numbers read 757 goals in 812 outings for Pelé (0.93/game), versus 220 in 780 for Lothar Matthäus (0.28/game). Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. The honours ledger favours Pelé with 14 major trophies (3× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970)) against Lothar Matthäus's 7 (1× FIFA World Cup (1990)). Stylistically Pelé was clinical where Lothar Matthäus was intelligent — 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 Lothar Matthäus reached his defining level around 1990 after spells with Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
165 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 1990 World Cup-winning captain and 1990 Ballon d'Or winner, Matthäus made a record 25 World Cup appearances across five tournaments in a career of relentless box-to-box excellence.
“A powerful, dynamic all-action midfielder equally capable of defending, driving forward, and unleashing thunderous long-range shots.”
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)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (1990)
- 5× Bundesliga (1985, 1986, 1994, 1997, 1999)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1991)
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
- 1979 Professional debut for Borussia Mönchengladbach
- 1990 Won FIFA World Cup with Inter Milan
- 1991 Won UEFA Cup with Inter Milan
- 1990 Reached the peak of his powers at Inter Milan
- 2000 Retired after a final spell at Bayern Munich
- Finished his career with 220 goals in 780 appearances and 7 major honours. Finished his career with 220 goals in 780 appearances and 7 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)
