Edwin van der Sar vs Rivelino: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Netherlands (born 1970, retired 2011) · Left Midfielder, Brazil (born 1946, retired 1981)
Set Edwin van der Sar alongside Rivelino and the numbers start an argument of their own. Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. Career output puts Edwin van der Sar at 0 goals in 820 games, with Rivelino at 238 in 624. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Edwin van der Sar 9 and Rivelino 8, with 1× UEFA Champions League (2008) and 1× FIFA World Cup (1970) the standout honours respectively. Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Edwin van der Sar imposing, Rivelino silky. Their routes to the top were distinct: Edwin van der Sar built his reputation across Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, Manchester United, peaking around 2008, while Rivelino reached his defining level around 1970 after spells with Corinthians, Fluminense, Al-Hilal. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
158 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.”
Roberto Rivellino (born 1 January 1946), known mononymously as Rivellino, is a Brazilian football pundit and former player. He was a key member of Brazil’s 1970 FIFA World Cup-winning team and played as an attacking midfielder. He was renowned for his moustache, powerful long-range shooting, accurate passing, close control, dribbling and bending free kicks.
“A left-footed conductor famous for the elastico, fierce shooting and daring switches of play.”
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× FIFA World Cup (1970)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2000 Established himself at Ajax
- 2004 Reached his defining peak
- 2008 Delivered a landmark season
- 2011 Retired from professional football
- 1962 Established himself at Corinthians
- 1966 Reached his defining peak
- 1970 Delivered a landmark season
- 1981 Retired from professional football
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Rivelino takes it by a clear margin.
Rivelino edges it (a clear margin)
