Ronaldinho vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder / Winger, Brazil (born 1980, retired 2015) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
Ronaldinho and Paul Ince represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. On production alone, Ronaldinho posted 282 goals across 685 appearances while Paul Ince managed 90 across 650. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Ronaldinho is credited with 0 and Paul Ince with 60. Trophy counts give Ronaldinho 8 and Paul Ince 4, with 1× FIFA World Cup (2002) and 2× Premier League (1993, 1994) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically Ronaldinho was orchestrating where Paul Ince was silky — two vocabularies of the same sport. The wider career context matters too: Ronaldinho peaked around 2006 after representing Grêmio, PSG, Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, Querétaro, Fluminense, while Paul Ince's defining level came around 1994 across 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
Brazilian magician and 2005 Ballon d'Or winner who led Barcelona to their second Champions League title in 2006.
“A mercurial, samba-flaired playmaker whose tricks, flicks and elastico delighted crowds and baffled defenders.”
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 (2002)
- 2× Copa América (1999, 2005)
- 1× FIFA Confederations Cup (2005)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2006)
- 2× La Liga (2005, 2006)
- 1× Serie A (2011)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1998 Professional debut for Grêmio
- 2001 Moved to PSG
- 2002 World Cup winner, scored a famous lob against England
- 2003 Signed for Barcelona
- 2005 Ballon d'Or winner
- 2006 Champions League winner with Barcelona
- 2011 Won the Campeonato Brasileiro with Flamengo
- 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, Ronaldinho takes it by a decisive margin.
Ronaldinho edges it (a decisive margin)
