Nemanja Vidić vs Miroslav Klose: Stats Compared
Centre-Back, Serbia (born 1981, retired 2016) · Striker, Germany (born 1978, retired 2016)
The Nemanja Vidić–Miroslav Klose comparison is one of those fixtures of footballing folklore. Silverware is the currency of legacy, and both players filled cabinets that few can rival. Career output puts Nemanja Vidić at 29 goals in 518 games, with Miroslav Klose at 318 in 705. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Nemanja Vidić departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 5× Premier League (2007–2013); Miroslav Klose with 7, including 1× FIFA World Cup (2014). Nemanja Vidić built his medal haul through years of anticipatory consistency, while Miroslav Klose won his with clinical bursts of brilliance. The wider career context matters too: Nemanja Vidić peaked around 2009 after representing Red Star Belgrade, Spartak Moscow, Manchester United, Inter, while Miroslav Klose's defining level came around 2014 across Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich, Lazio. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
164 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Vidić is best known for his time at Manchester United, where he won 15 trophies and served as club captain. He is one of only five players to win the Premier League Player of the Season award twice, alongside Thierry Henry, Kevin De Bruyne, Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah.
“A fearless centre-back who dominated the air and treated every duel as a personal contest.”
All-time FIFA World Cup top scorer with 16 goals; Germany's all-time leading goalscorer with 71 international goals.
“A selfless striker and aerial specialist whose consistency made him a World Cup great.”
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
- 5× Premier League (2007–2013)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 2× Bundesliga (2008, 2010)
- 3× DFB-Pokal (2005, 2008, 2010)
- 1× Coppa Italia (2013)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2001 Established himself at Red Star Belgrade
- 2005 Reached his defining peak
- 2009 Delivered a landmark season
- 2016 Retired from professional football
- 2000 Kaiserslautern debut
- 2002 World Cup debut, scored five headed goals
- 2007 Joined Bayern Munich
- 2011 Joined Lazio, won over fans with relentless work rate
- 2014 World Cup winner, became the all-time World Cup top scorer (16 goals)
- 2016 Retired at Lazio
The verdict
If forced to pick, Miroslav Klose is the choice: a narrow margin, with a sharper goalscoring record the deciding factor.
Miroslav Klose edges it (a narrow margin)
