Roberto Baggio vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Italy (born 1967, retired 2004) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
When Roberto Baggio and Clint Dempsey are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. They belonged to different eras, which makes any direct comparison a test of imagination as much as statistics. The raw numbers read 318 goals in 602 outings for Roberto Baggio (0.53/game), versus 180 in 550 for Clint Dempsey (0.33/game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Roberto Baggio is listed at 0 and Clint Dempsey at 90 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Roberto Baggio with 9 major trophies (1× UEFA Cup (1993)) against Clint Dempsey's 2 (1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)). Roberto Baggio belonged to the 1990s, dominating with a intelligent quality; Clint Dempsey rose in the modern era with a flair-driven edge. The wider career context matters too: Roberto Baggio peaked around 1993 after representing Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Bologna, Inter, while Clint Dempsey's defining level came around 2012 across New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
179 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Roberto Baggio is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder. He is also the former president of the technical sector of the Italian Football Federation. A highly skillful creative playmaker and set piece specialist, renowned for his curling free-kicks, dribbling skills, and goalscoring, Baggio is regarded by many as one of the greatest players of all time.
“A delicate playmaker with velvet touch, disguised passing and an instinct for decisive moments.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable goals.”
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× UEFA Cup (1993)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1985 Established himself at Vicenza
- 1989 Reached his defining peak
- 1993 Delivered a landmark season
- 2004 Retired from professional football
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Roberto Baggio takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Roberto Baggio edges it (a decisive margin)
