Raúl vs Nemanja Vidić: Stats Compared
Striker, Spain (born 1977, retired 2015) · Centre-Back, Serbia (born 1981, retired 2016)
Comparing Raúl with Nemanja Vidić means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. Career output puts Raúl at 432 goals in 1032 games, with Nemanja Vidić at 29 in 518. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. The honours ledger favours Raúl with 16 major trophies (3× UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)) against Nemanja Vidić's 8 (5× Premier League (2007–2013)). Raúl played with a ruthless that made him unmistakable; Nemanja Vidić brought a resolute that was equally his own. Their routes to the top were distinct: Raúl built his reputation across Real Madrid, Schalke 04, Al Sadd, New York Cosmos, peaking around 2002, while Nemanja Vidić reached his defining level around 2009 after spells with Red Star Belgrade, Spartak Moscow, Manchester United, Inter. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
163 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Real Madrid legend who captained the club to three Champions League titles; held the all-time Champions League goals record before Messi and Ronaldo surpassed him.
“An intelligent, tireless forward whose movement off the ball created chances for himself and others.”
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Vidić is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he won 15 trophies and served as club captain. He is one of only five players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice, alongside Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.
“A fearless centre-back who dominated the air and treated every duel as a personal contest.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1998, 2000, 2002)
- 6× La Liga
- 4× Supercopa de España
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1998, 2002)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2002)
- 5× Premier League (2007–2013)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1994 Real Madrid debut aged 17
- 1996 Won La Liga with Real Madrid
- 1998 Champions League winner at 20
- 2000 Champions League winner, top scorer in the tournament
- 2003 Became Real Madrid captain
- 2010 Left Real Madrid after 16 years at the club
- 2015 Retired at New York Cosmos
- 2001 Established himself at Red Star Belgrade
- 2005 Reached his defining peak
- 2009 Delivered a landmark season
- 2016 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Raúl takes it by a decisive margin.
Raúl edges it (a decisive margin)
