Andrea Pirlo vs Paul Scholes: Stats Compared
Central / Attacking Midfielder, Italy (born 1979, retired 2017) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1974, retired 2013)
Put Andrea Pirlo and Paul Scholes side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. Across his senior career Andrea Pirlo notched 73 goals in 728 appearances (0.10 per game), while Paul Scholes recorded 169 in 784 (0.22 per game). Creativity tells a story too: 80 assists for Andrea Pirlo against 75 for Paul Scholes. Andrea Pirlo departs the game with 13 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2006); Paul Scholes with 17, including 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008). Andrea Pirlo played with a orchestrating that made him unmistakable; Paul Scholes brought a incisive that was equally his own. 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 Paul Scholes reached his defining level around 2008 after spells with Manchester United. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
168 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
Manchester United midfielder renowned for his passing range and vision; two-time Champions League winner.
“A short-sighted, single-touch midfielder whose passing range was unmatched in his generation.”
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)
- 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008)
- 11× Premier League
- 3× FA Cup (1996, 1999, 2004)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2008)
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
- 1994 Manchester United debut
- 1996 First Premier League title
- 1999 Treble winner with Manchester United
- 2003 Briefly retired from England duty
- 2008 Second Champions League winner
- 2011 Came out of retirement to help Manchester United
- 2013 Retired for good at Manchester United
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Paul Scholes wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Paul Scholes edges it (a clear margin)
