Edwin van der Sar vs Franco Baresi: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Sweeper / Centre-Back, Italy (born 1960, retired 1997)
Few debates split football fans quite like Edwin van der Sar versus Franco Baresi. Where pure finishing is concerned, this is a shootout between two of the most feared marksmen of their time. Across his senior career Edwin van der Sar notched 0 goals in 820 appearances (0.00 per game), while Franco Baresi recorded 19 in 800 (0.02 per game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. In major honours Edwin van der Sar collected 9 — headlined by 1× UEFA Champions League (2008) — whereas Franco Baresi amassed 18, led by 3× European Cup (1989, 1990, 1994). Where Edwin van der Sar was a reflex-sharp presence in the box, Franco Baresi offered a resolute approach to goalscoring. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Edwin van der Sar's landmark level arrived around 2008 with a career spanning Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United; Franco Baresi's came around 1989 across AC Milan. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
182 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Edwin van der Sar is a Dutch football executive and former player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he was most recently the chief executive of Eredivisie club Ajax. Van der Sar began his senior playing career with Ajax in the early 1990s; he is considered to be a member of the club's golden generation and was part of the team that won the UEFA Champions League in 1995.
“A tall, composed goalkeeper who made difficult saves look quiet and simple.”
AC Milan icon who spent his entire 20-year career at the club; three-time European Cup winner and 1994 World Cup finalist with Italy.
“A peerless sweeper whose reading, tackling and leadership built a defensive dynasty at Milan.”
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 (2008)
- 3× European Cup (1989, 1990, 1994)
- 6× Serie A (1979, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996)
- 4× Supercoppa Italiana
- 3× UEFA Super Cup
- 2× Intercontinental Cup (1989, 1990)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 Retired from professional football
- 1977 AC Milan debut aged 17
- 1979 First Scudetto with Milan
- 1980 Stayed at Milan in Serie B after the betting scandal
- 1989 First European Cup with Milan
- 1994 Won the Champions League conceding just 15 goals in 30 league games
- 1997 Retired aged 37 with the number 6 shirt retired in his honour
The verdict
The numbers give Franco Baresi the lead — a decisive margin, courtesy of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Franco Baresi edges it (a decisive margin)
