Andrea Pirlo vs Raymond Kopa: Stats Compared
Central / Attacking Midfielder, Italy (born 1979, retired 2017) · Forward, France (born 1931, retired 1967)
When Andrea Pirlo and Raymond Kopa are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. Trophies, more than goals, are how most supporters ultimately remember a career. Andrea Pirlo finishes with 73 career goals from 728 games — a 0.10 strike rate — against Raymond Kopa's 150 from 450 at 0.33 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Andrea Pirlo is listed at 80 and Raymond Kopa at 0 where figures survive. Andrea Pirlo departs the game with 13 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2006); Raymond Kopa with 5, including 3× European Cup (1957, 1958, 1959). One lifted trophies through dictatorial reliability, the other through mercurial moments that decided finals. Their routes to the top were distinct: Andrea Pirlo built his reputation across Brescia, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, New York City FC, peaking around 2006, while Raymond Kopa reached his defining level around 1958 after spells with Angers, Reims, Real Madrid, Reims. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
183 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Italian playmaker and World Cup winner; six-time Serie A champion and two-time Champions League winner.
“A deep-lying regista whose passing range and free-kick craft orchestrated Italy and Juventus for a decade.”
France's first football superstar and 1958 Ballon d'Or winner, Kopa won three straight European Cups alongside Di Stéfano at Real Madrid before returning to lead Reims.
“A diminutive, dazzling dribbler and creator whose vision and close control made him the conductor of every attack he played in.”
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 (2006)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (2003, 2007)
- 6× Serie A
- 2× Coppa Italia
- 2× UEFA Super Cup (2003, 2007)
- 3× European Cup (1957, 1958, 1959)
- 2× Ligue 1 (1953, 1960)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1995 Brescia debut aged 16
- 1998 Signed for Inter Milan but failed to break through
- 2001 Joined AC Milan and his career took off
- 2006 World Cup winner with Italy
- 2011 Free transfer to Juventus
- 2014 Set a Serie A points record with Juventus
- 2015 Joined MLS side New York City FC
- 1949 Professional debut for Angers
- 1957 Won European Cup with Real Madrid
- 1953 Won Ligue 1 with Reims
- 1958 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 1967 Retired after a final spell at Reims
- Finished his career with 150 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 150 goals in 450 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Andrea Pirlo wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Andrea Pirlo edges it (a decisive margin)
