Ferenc Puskás vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Comparing Ferenc Puskás with Paul Ince means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. Ferenc Puskás finishes with 598 career goals from 621 games — a 0.96 strike rate — against Paul Ince's 90 from 650 at 0.14 per match. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Ferenc Puskás is credited with 0 and Paul Ince with 60. In major honours Ferenc Puskás collected 10 — headlined by 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966) — whereas Paul Ince amassed 4, led by 2× Premier League (1993, 1994). As a forward Ferenc Puskás bent the role to a mercurial template; as a central midfielder, Paul Ince redefined it with silky authority. The wider career context matters too: Ferenc Puskás peaked around 1960 after representing Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid, while Paul Ince's defining level came around 1994 across West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
185 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Hungarian legend of the Magical Magyats and a Real Madrid galáctico; scorer of 84 goals in 85 games for Hungary.
“A barrel-chested left-footed finisher whose deadly striking powered Hungary's Golden Team.”
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× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966)
- 5× La Liga
- 1× Olympic Gold Medal (1952)
- 1× Central European Cup (1953)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1943 Budapest Honvéd debut
- 1952 Olympic champion with Hungary
- 1953 Scored twice in the 6-3 win over England at Wembley
- 1956 Fled the Hungarian Revolution
- 1958 Joined Real Madrid
- 1960 Scored four goals in the European Cup final
- 1966 Retired from playing
- 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
Reasonable people will disagree, but Ferenc Puskás wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Ferenc Puskás edges it (a decisive margin)
