Rivelino vs Teddy Sheringham: Stats Compared
Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981) · Striker, England (born 1966, retired 2008)
Put Rivelino and Teddy Sheringham side by side and you have a genuine generational conversation. Different decades shaped different demands, and both adapted to theirs brilliantly. Rivelino finishes with 238 career goals from 624 games — a 0.38 strike rate — against Teddy Sheringham's 320 from 900 at 0.36 per match. 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 Teddy Sheringham with 130. The honours ledger favours Rivelino with 8 major trophies (1× FIFA World Cup (1970)) against Teddy Sheringham's 4 (1× UEFA Champions League (1999)). Rivelino belonged to the 1970s, dominating with a incisive quality; Teddy Sheringham rose in the 1990s with a mercurial edge. Club journeys add another layer, with Rivelino reaching his representative peak around 1970 across Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal and Teddy Sheringham doing so around 1999 with Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Colchester United. The honest conclusion is that comparison enriches appreciation rather than crowns a single winner.
179 words · comparison angle: era
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 cerebral, late-developing striker, Sheringham scored the injury-time equaliser in Manchester United's 1999 Champions League final and remains the Premier League's oldest ever goalscorer.
“An intelligent, deep-dropping forward whose clever hold-up play and vision created space for quicker strike partners.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1999)
- 2× Premier League (1999, 2000)
- 1× FA Cup (1999)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1962 Established himself at Corinthians
- 1966 Reached his defining peak
- 1970 Delivered a landmark season
- 1981 Retired from professional football
- 1984 Professional debut for Millwall
- 1999 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 1999 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Colchester United
- Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
On balance Rivelino edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Rivelino edges it (a clear margin)
