Ivan Rakitić vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, Croatia (born 1988, retired 2023) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Few debates split football fans quite like Ivan Rakitić versus Paul Ince. Comparing across positions is never straightforward, and these two asked different questions of opponents. Ivan Rakitić finishes with 90 career goals from 700 games — a 0.13 strike rate — against Paul Ince's 90 from 650 at 0.14 per match. Creativity tells a story too: 90 assists for Ivan Rakitić against 60 for Paul Ince. The honours ledger favours Ivan Rakitić with 6 major trophies (1× UEFA Champions League (2015)) against Paul Ince's 4 (2× Premier League (1993, 1994)). The central midfielder duties of Ivan Rakitić leaned intelligent; the central midfielder responsibilities of Paul Ince leaned orchestrating. Club journeys add another layer, with Ivan Rakitić reaching his representative peak around 2015 across Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Sevilla, Hajduk Split and Paul Ince doing so around 1994 with West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
169 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
A key architect of Barcelona's 2015 treble and Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final, Rakitić combined tireless work rate with excellent passing range.
“A tireless, technically composed box-to-box midfielder whose range of passing linked defence and attack seamlessly.”
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
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2015)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2014)
- 4× La Liga (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2005 Professional debut for Basel
- 2015 Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona
- 2015 Won La Liga with Barcelona
- 2015 Reached the peak of his powers at Barcelona
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Hajduk Split
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours.
- 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
If forced to pick, Ivan Rakitić is the choice: a clear margin, with consistency at the very highest level the deciding factor.
Ivan Rakitić edges it (a clear margin)
