Ronaldinho vs Park Ji-sung: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder / Winger, Brazil (born 1980, retired 2015) · Midfielder, South Korea (born 1981, retired 2014)
Line up Ronaldinho next to Park Ji-sung and the contrasts come quickly. Their jobs on the pitch were not the same, yet both redefined what their role could be. Ronaldinho finishes with 282 career goals from 685 games — a 0.41 strike rate — against Park Ji-sung's 60 from 550 at 0.11 per match. 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 Park Ji-sung with 60. Ronaldinho departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2002); Park Ji-sung with 5, including 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011). As a attacking midfielder / winger Ronaldinho bent the role to a orchestrating template; as a midfielder, Park Ji-sung redefined it with silky authority. The wider career context matters too: Ronaldinho peaked around 2006 after representing Grêmio, PSG, Barcelona, AC Milan, Flamengo, Atlético Mineiro, Querétaro, Fluminense, while Park Ji-sung's defining level came around 2008 across Kyoto Purple Sanga, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
194 words · comparison angle: role
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 Asian player to win the Champions League and reach a World Cup semi-final, Park was renowned for his tireless work rate and big-game performances for Manchester United.
“A relentless, selfless box-to-box midfielder whose stamina and tactical discipline made him invaluable in the biggest matches.”
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)
- 4× Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2008)
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
- 2000 Professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga
- 2007 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 2008 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 2008 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Queens Park Rangers
- Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 60 goals in 550 appearances and 5 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Ronaldinho wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Ronaldinho edges it (a decisive margin)
