Davor Šuker vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Striker, Croatia (born 1968, retired 2003) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Davor Šuker and Per Mertesacker represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. By the end Davor Šuker had 273 goals from 526 caps and club outings; Per Mertesacker had 15 from 550. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Davor Šuker is credited with 0 and Per Mertesacker with 5. Davor Šuker departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× UEFA Champions League (1998); Per Mertesacker with 4, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). As a striker Davor Šuker bent the role to a flair-driven template; as a centre-back, Per Mertesacker redefined it with commanding authority. The wider career context matters too: Davor Šuker peaked around 1998 after representing Osijek, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Arsenal, West Ham, while Per Mertesacker's defining level came around 2014 across Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
181 words · comparison angle: role
Player profiles
Davor Šuker is a Croatian football administrator and former professional player who played as a striker. He served as the president of the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) from 2012 to 2021. Šuker is generally regarded as the greatest Croatian striker of all time with a record 45 goals in 68 matches.
“A left-footed finisher with delicate touch, clever movement and a taste for spectacular goals.”
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
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 Champions League (1998)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1990 Established himself at Osijek
- 1994 Reached his defining peak
- 1998 Delivered a landmark season
- 2003 Retired from professional football
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Davor Šuker takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Davor Šuker edges it (a decisive margin)
