Sócrates vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Brazil (born 1954, retired 1989) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Set Sócrates alongside Clint Dempsey and the numbers start an argument of their own. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. The raw numbers read 258 goals in 594 outings for Sócrates (0.43/game), versus 180 in 550 for Clint Dempsey (0.33/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Sócrates is credited with 0 and Clint Dempsey with 90. The honours ledger favours Sócrates with 8 major trophies (3× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A) against Clint Dempsey's 2 (1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)). One lifted trophies through dictatorial reliability, the other through clinical moments that decided finals. The wider career context matters too: Sócrates peaked around 1982 after representing Botafogo-SP, Corinthians, Fiorentina, Flamengo, 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.
159 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira (19 February 1954 – 4 December 2011), simply known as Sócrates, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. His medical degree and his political awareness, combined with style and quality of his play, earned him the nickname "Doctor Socrates". Famous for his beard and the headband he wore during the 1986 World Cup in solidarity with victims of the Mexico City earthquake, Sócrates became the "symbol of cool for a whole generation of football supporters".
“A languid playmaker whose backheels, vision and civic conviction made him unforgettable.”
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
- 3× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1974 Established himself at Botafogo-SP
- 1978 Reached his defining peak
- 1982 Delivered a landmark season
- 1989 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
On balance Sócrates edges the comparison. The margin is a decisive margin, decided mostly by a sharper goalscoring record.
Sócrates edges it (a decisive margin)
