Pelé vs George Weah: Stats Compared
Forward, Brazil (born 1940, retired 1977) · Striker, Liberia (born 1966, retired 2003)
Comparing Pelé with George Weah means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Reputations harden into legacies, and few careers cast longer shadows than these two. Across his senior career Pelé notched 757 goals in 812 appearances (0.93 per game), while George Weah recorded 230 in 460 (0.50 per game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Pelé is credited with 0 and George Weah with 60. Trophy counts give Pelé 14 and George Weah 3, with 3× FIFA World Cup (1958, 1962, 1970) and 2× Serie A (1996, 1999) the standout honours respectively. Their legacies diverge in texture: Pelé is remembered as explosive, George Weah as flair-driven. The wider career context matters too: Pelé peaked around 1970 after representing Santos, New York Cosmos, while George Weah's defining level came around 1995 across Tonnerre Yaoundé, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille, Al Jazira. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
175 words · comparison angle: legacy
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 only African and Liberian ever to win the Ballon d'Or, Weah was a rare striker capable of running the length of the pitch to score, before later becoming Liberia's president.
“A powerful, quick target man with surprising close control, famous for driving solo runs the length of the field.”
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× Serie A (1996, 1999)
- 1× Coupe de France (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
- 1986 Professional debut for Tonnerre Yaoundé
- 1996 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 1991 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1995 Reached the peak of his powers at Paris Saint-Germain
- 2003 Retired after a final spell at Al Jazira
- Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 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)
