Rivelino vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Comparing Rivelino with Paul Ince means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. It is in how they played, rather than what they won, that the comparison gets interesting. By the end Rivelino had 238 goals from 624 caps and club outings; Paul Ince had 90 from 650. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Rivelino is credited with 0 and Paul Ince with 60. Rivelino departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1970); Paul Ince with 4, including 2× Premier League (1993, 1994). Rivelino played with a incisive that made him unmistakable; Paul Ince brought a orchestrating that was equally his own. Club journeys add another layer, with Rivelino reaching his representative peak around 1970 across Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal and Paul Ince doing so around 1994 with West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
175 words · comparison angle: style
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 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× FIFA World Cup (1970)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1962 Established himself at Corinthians
- 1966 Reached his defining peak
- 1970 Delivered a landmark season
- 1981 Retired from professional football
- 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
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Rivelino takes it by a clear margin.
Rivelino edges it (a clear margin)
