Rivelino vs Landon Donovan: Stats Compared
Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981) · Forward, United States (born 1982, retired 2016)
There is something timeless about weighing Rivelino against Landon Donovan. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. Across his senior career Rivelino notched 238 goals in 624 appearances (0.38 per game), while Landon Donovan recorded 190 in 550 (0.35 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Rivelino is listed at 0 and Landon Donovan at 145 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Rivelino 8 and Landon Donovan 9, with 1× FIFA World Cup (1970) and 6× MLS Cup (2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014) the standout honours respectively. Rivelino built his medal haul through years of silky consistency, while Landon Donovan won his with flair-driven bursts of brilliance. The wider career context matters too: Rivelino peaked around 1970 after representing Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal, while Landon Donovan's defining level came around 2010 across San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy, Everton, LA Galaxy. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
169 words · comparison angle: trophies
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.”
The USA's all-time leading scorer for club and country until his retirement, Donovan was the face of American soccer through three World Cups, capped by his dramatic stoppage-time winner against Algeria in 2010.
“A quick, clever forward whose intelligent movement and clinical finishing made him the USA's most decorated attacking player.”
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)
- 6× MLS Cup (2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014)
- 3× CONCACAF Gold Cup (2002, 2005, 2007)
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 San Jose Earthquakes
- 2001 Won MLS Cup with San Jose Earthquakes
- 2002 Won CONCACAF Gold Cup with San Jose Earthquakes
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at LA Galaxy
- 2016 Retired after a final spell at LA Galaxy
- Finished his career with 190 goals in 550 appearances and 9 major honours. Finished his career with 190 goals in 550 appearances and 9 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Rivelino wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Rivelino edges it (a clear margin)
