Edwin van der Sar vs Ivan Rakitić: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Central Midfielder, Croatia (born 1988, retired 2023)
Comparing Edwin van der Sar with Ivan Rakitić means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. Career output puts Edwin van der Sar at 0 goals in 820 games, with Ivan Rakitić at 90 in 700. 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 Ivan Rakitić with 90. Edwin van der Sar departs the game with 9 major pieces of silverware, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2008); Ivan Rakitić with 6, including 1× UEFA Champions League (2015). Edwin van der Sar played with a imposing that made him unmistakable; Ivan Rakitić brought a silky that was equally his own. The wider career context matters too: Edwin van der Sar peaked around 2008 after representing Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United, while Ivan Rakitić's defining level came around 2015 across Basel, Schalke 04, Sevilla, Barcelona, Sevilla, Hajduk Split. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
183 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
A key architect of Barcelona's 2015 treble and Croatia's run to the 2018 World Cup final, Rakitić combined tireless work rate with excellent passing range.
“A tireless, technically composed box-to-box midfielder whose range of passing linked defence and attack seamlessly.”
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 Champions League (2015)
- 1× UEFA Europa League (2014)
- 4× La Liga (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 Retired from professional football
- 2005 Professional debut for Basel
- 2015 Won UEFA Champions League with Barcelona
- 2015 Won La Liga with Barcelona
- 2015 Reached the peak of his powers at Barcelona
- 2023 Retired after a final spell at Hajduk Split
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, Ivan Rakitić is the choice: a clear margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Ivan Rakitić edges it (a clear margin)
