Paul Scholes vs Pavel Nedvěd: Stats Compared
Central Midfielder, England (born 1974, retired 2013) · Midfielder, Czech Republic (born 1972, retired 2009)
The Paul Scholes–Pavel Nedvěd comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. Across his senior career Paul Scholes notched 169 goals in 784 appearances (0.22 per game), while Pavel Nedvěd recorded 156 in 711 (0.22 per game). Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Paul Scholes is listed at 75 and Pavel Nedvěd at 0 where figures survive. Trophy counts give Paul Scholes 17 and Pavel Nedvěd 9, with 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008) and 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1999) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically Paul Scholes was incisive where Pavel Nedvěd was incisive — two vocabularies of the same sport. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Paul Scholes's landmark level arrived around 2008 with a career spanning Manchester United; Pavel Nedvěd's came around 2003 across Dukla Prague, Sparta Prague, Lazio, Juventus. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
168 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Manchester United midfielder renowned for his passing range and vision; two-time Champions League winner.
“A short-sighted, single-touch midfielder whose passing range was unmatched in his generation.”
Czech midfielder and 2003 Ballon d'Or winner; Serie A champion with Lazio and Juventus.
“A tireless attacking midfielder with explosive shooting from distance and endless running.”
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
- 2× UEFA Champions League (1999, 2008)
- 11× Premier League
- 3× FA Cup (1996, 1999, 2004)
- 1× FIFA Club World Cup (2008)
- 1× UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1999)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (1999)
- 3× Serie A (2000, 2002, 2003)
- 2× Coppa Italia (1998, 2000)
- 2× Supercoppa Italiana (2002, 2003)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1994 Manchester United debut
- 1996 First Premier League title
- 1999 Treble winner with Manchester United
- 2003 Briefly retired from England duty
- 2008 Second Champions League winner
- 2011 Came out of retirement to help Manchester United
- 2013 Retired for good at Manchester United
- 1991 Dukla Prague debut
- 1996 Joined Lazio
- 1999 Won the Cup Winners' Cup with Lazio
- 2001 Joined Juventus as Zidane's replacement
- 2003 Ballon d'Or winner, reached the Champions League final
- 2005 Stayed at Juventus in Serie B after Calciopoli
- 2009 Retired at Juventus
The verdict
On balance Paul Scholes edges the comparison. The margin is a clear margin, decided mostly by a weightier trophy cabinet.
Paul Scholes edges it (a clear margin)
