George Weah vs Elías Figueroa: Stats Compared
Striker, Liberia (born 1966, retired 2003) · Centre-Back, Chile (born 1946, retired 1982)
There is something timeless about weighing George Weah against Elías Figueroa. Style separates them as much as statistics: two players, two unmistakable signatures. The raw numbers read 230 goals in 460 outings for George Weah (0.50/game), versus 40 in 600 for Elías Figueroa (0.07/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, George Weah is credited with 60 and Elías Figueroa with 0. Trophy counts give George Weah 3 and Elías Figueroa 5, with 2× Serie A (1996, 1999) and 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968) the standout honours respectively. Stylistically George Weah was flair-driven where Elías Figueroa was rugged — two vocabularies of the same sport. Context beyond the headline totals is important: George Weah's landmark level arrived around 1995 with a career spanning Tonnerre Yaoundé, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille, Al Jazira; Elías Figueroa's came around 1974 across Santiago Wanderers, Peñarol, Internacional, Palestino, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
178 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
The only African and Liberian ever to win the Ballon d'Or, Weah was a rare striker capable of running the length of the pitch to score, before later becoming Liberia's president.
“A powerful, quick target man with surprising close control, famous for driving solo runs the length of the field.”
A three-time South American Footballer of the Year, Figueroa is widely considered the finest defender the continent has produced, marshalling Internacional's dominant 1970s side.
“An imperious, elegant centre-back who combined aerial dominance with composed distribution well ahead of his era.”
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
- 2× Serie A (1996, 1999)
- 1× Coupe de France (1991)
- 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968)
- 3× Campeonato Gaúcho (1973, 1974, 1975)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1986 Professional debut for Tonnerre Yaoundé
- 1996 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 1991 Won Coupe de France with Monaco
- 1995 Reached the peak of his powers at Paris Saint-Germain
- 2003 Retired after a final spell at Al Jazira
- Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 major honours. Finished his career with 230 goals in 460 appearances and 3 major honours.
- 1965 Professional debut for Santiago Wanderers
- 1967 Won Uruguayan Primera División with Peñarol
- 1973 Won Campeonato Gaúcho with Internacional
- 1974 Reached the peak of his powers at Internacional
- 1982 Retired after a final spell at Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Finished his career with 40 goals in 600 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 40 goals in 600 appearances and 5 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
