Edwin van der Sar vs Hakan Şükür: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Striker, Turkey (born 1971, retired 2008)
The Edwin van der Sar–Hakan Şükür comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Strikers are judged on goals, and on that raw currency both men delivered extraordinary returns. Across his senior career Edwin van der Sar notched 0 goals in 820 appearances (0.00 per game), while Hakan Şükür recorded 320 in 600 (0.53 per game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Edwin van der Sar is credited with 0 and Hakan Şükür with 60. In major honours Edwin van der Sar collected 9 — headlined by 1× UEFA Champions League (2008) — whereas Hakan Şükür amassed 8, led by 1× UEFA Cup (2000). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Edwin van der Sar commanding, Hakan Şükür predatory. 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; Hakan Şükür's came around 2000 across Sakaryaspor, Galatasaray, Torino, Galatasaray, Parma, Galatasaray, Blackburn Rovers, Galatasaray. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
185 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.”
Turkey's all-time leading goalscorer and captain of Galatasaray's historic 2000 UEFA Cup triumph, Şükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup history in 2002.
“A sharp, physically strong striker whose clinical finishing led Galatasaray's rise to continental success.”
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)
- 1× UEFA Cup (2000)
- 1× UEFA Super Cup (2000)
- 6× Süper Lig (1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 Retired from professional football
- 1988 Professional debut for Sakaryaspor
- 2000 Won UEFA Cup with Galatasaray
- 1993 Won Süper Lig with Galatasaray
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Galatasaray
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Galatasaray
- Finished his career with 320 goals in 600 appearances and 8 major honours. Finished his career with 320 goals in 600 appearances and 8 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production, silverware and profile, the two finish within a whisker of each other. Call it a respectful draw — greatness of this calibre resists a single winner.
Too close to call — a respectful draw
