Rivelino vs Daniele De Rossi: Stats Compared
Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981) · Central Midfielder, Italy (born 1983, retired 2019)
Rivelino and Daniele De Rossi represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Their jobs on the pitch were not the same, yet both redefined what their role could be. Rivelino finishes with 238 career goals from 624 games — a 0.38 strike rate — against Daniele De Rossi's 65 from 700 at 0.09 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Rivelino is listed at 0 and Daniele De Rossi at 60 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Rivelino 8 and Daniele De Rossi 3, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1970) and 1× FIFA World Cup (2006) the standout honours respectively. The left midfielder duties of Rivelino leaned incisive; the central midfielder responsibilities of Daniele De Rossi leaned orchestrating. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Rivelino's landmark level arrived around 1970 with a career spanning Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal; Daniele De Rossi's came around 2013 across Roma. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
180 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Roberto Rivellino (born 1 January 1946), known mononymously as Rivellino, is a Brazilian football pundit and former player. He was a key member of Brazil’s 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning team and played as an attacking midfielder. He was renowned for his moustache, powerful long-range shooting, accurate passing, close control, dribbling and bending free kicks.
“A left-footed conductor famous for the elastico, fierce shooting and daring switches of play.”
A one-club legend and 2006 World Cup winner, De Rossi embodied Roma's midfield for nearly two decades, combining ferocious tackling with a superb range of passing.
“A commanding, technically excellent deep-lying midfielder who mixed hard tackling with elegant long-range distribution.”
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 (1970)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2006)
- 2× Coppa Italia (2007, 2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1962 Established himself at Corinthians
- 1966 Reached his defining peak
- 1970 Delivered a landmark season
- 1981 Retired from professional football
- 2001 Professional debut for Roma
- 2006 Won FIFA World Cup with Roma
- 2007 Won Coppa Italia with Roma
- 2013 Reached the peak of his powers at Roma
- 2019 Retired after a final spell at Roma
- Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 65 goals in 700 appearances and 3 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Rivelino wins out by a narrow margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Rivelino edges it (a narrow margin)
