Ferenc Puskás vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Forward, Hungary (born 1927, retired 1966) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
Comparing Ferenc Puskás with Miroslav Klose means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. On production alone, Ferenc Puskás posted 598 goals across 621 appearances while Miroslav Klose managed 318 across 705. Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. Trophy counts give Ferenc Puskás 10 and Miroslav Klose 7, with 3× European Cup (1959, 1960, 1966) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2014) the standout honours respectively. One lifted trophies through mercurial reliability, the other through clinical moments that decided finals. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Ferenc Puskás's landmark level arrived around 1960 with a career spanning Budapest Honvéd, Real Madrid; Miroslav Klose's came around 2014 across Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
157 words · comparison angle: trophies
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.”
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
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)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
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
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
The verdict
On balance Ferenc Puskás edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Ferenc Puskás edges it (a decisive margin)
