Teófilo Cubillas

Peruvian footballer

Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga (Spanish pronunciation: [teˈofilo kuˈβiʎas]; born 8 March 1949) is a Peruvian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was selected as Peru's greatest ever player in an IFFHS poll, in which he was also included in the world's Top 50.[1] He was renowned for his technique, shooting ability and free kick ability.[2] He was considered one of the best players in the world of the 1970s and the best in his position of the decade only behind the Dutch Johan Cruyff. Among his main achievements are the FIFA awards for the best young player and the bronze boot in the 1970 FIFA World Cup, as well as the silver boot and member of the ideal team of the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he was also champion and best player of the 1975 Copa América. He is regarded one of the best attacking midfielders in the history of football.

Teófilo Cubillas
Cubillas in 2009
Personal information
Full name Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga
Date of birth (1949-03-08) 8 March 1949 (age 75)
Place of birth Lima, Peru
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Alianza Lima
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1972 Alianza Lima 175 (117)
1973 Basel 10 (3)
1974–1977 Porto 85 (48)
1977–1978 Alianza Lima 47 (35)
1979–1983 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 139 (65)
1983 Fort Lauderdale Strikers (indoor) 9 (9)
1984 Alianza Lima 4 (4)
1984–1985 South Florida Sun 7 (5)
1987–1988 Alianza Lima 13 (3)
1988 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 12 (7)
1989 Miami Sharks 8 (1)
Total 506 (297)
National team
1968–1982 Peru 81 (26)
Teams managed
1988 Alianza Lima
Honours
Men’s football
Representing  Peru
Copa América
Winner 1975
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Nicknamed El Nene (The Kid), he was part of the Peru national football team that won the 1975 Copa América.[3] He helped Peru reach the quarter finals at the 1970 FIFA World Cup[4] and again at the 1978 World Cup[5] and was elected the South American Footballer of the Year in 1972.

In 2004, Pelé selected Cubillas as one of the FIFA 100, a list of 125 footballing greats.[6] In February 2008, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Brazilian World Cup victory, he was selected in the All-Star First Team of South America of the past 50 years.[7] Cubillas is one of only three players to score five or more goals in two different World Cups, the other two being Miroslav Klose and Thomas Müller.[8]

Career statistics change

Club change

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Alianza Lima 1966 Peruvian Primera División[9] 23 19[10]
1967 25 9
1968 26 19
1969 11 5
1970 27 22[10]
1971 29 22
1972 29 14
Total 170 110 0 0
FC Basel 1973–74 Swiss Super League[9] 10 3 2[11]
Porto 1973–74 Primeira Liga[9] 12 4 3 1 - 15 5
1974–75 30 9 6 4 4 2 40 15
1975–76 29 28 4 4 5 4 38 36
1976–77 14 7 3 2 2 1 19 10
Total 85 48 13 10 10 7 108 65
Alianza Lima 1977 Peruvian Primera División[9] 32 23 32 23
1978 15 12 10 7 25 19
Total 47 35 0 0 10 7 57 42
Fort Lauderdale Strikers[12] 1979 NASL[a] 30 16 32 16
1980 34 18 34 18
1981 34 19 34 19
1982 18 4 18 4
1983 23 8 23 8
Total 139 65 0 0 0 0 139 65
Alianza Lima 1984 Peruvian Primera División 4 4 4 4
South Florida Sun 1984[13] USL 5 4 5 4
1985 2 1 2 1
Total 7 5 0 0 0 0 7 5
Alianza Lima 1987 Peruvian Primera División 13 3 13 3
Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1988[14] ASL 12 7 12 7
Career total 488 280 15 12 31 22 534 314
  1. Total statistics for his time in the NASL (1979–83) include playoff matches.

International change

Scores and results list Peru's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cubillas goal.
List of international goals scored by Teófilo Cubillas[15]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 8 May 1969 Bogotá, Colombia   Colombia 2–1 3–1 Friendly
2 9 July 1969 Lima, Peru   Paraguay 1–0 2–1 Friendly
3 2–0
4 17 August 1969 Lima, Peru   Bolivia 2–0 3–0 1970 World Cup qualifier
5 7 February 1970 Lima, Peru   Czechoslovakia 2–1 2–1 Friendly
6 9 February 1970 Lima, Peru   Romania 1–1 1–1 Friendly
7 24 February 1970 Lima, Peru   Bulgaria 1–2 5–3 Friendly
8 2 June 1970 León, Mexico   Bulgaria 3–2 3–2 1970 World Cup
9 6 June 1970 León, Mexico   Morocco 1–0 3–0 1970 World Cup
10 3–0
11 10 June 1970 León, Mexico   West Germany 1–3 1–3 1970 World Cup
12 14 June 1970 Guadalajara, Mexico   Brazil 2–3 2–4 1970 World Cup
13 5 April 1972 Mexico City, Mexico   Mexico 1–1 1–2 Friendly
14 23 April 1972 Bucharest, Romania   Romania 1–1 2–2 Friendly
15 4 March 1973 Lima, Peru   Guatemala 2–0 5–1 Friendly
16 4–1
17 23 April 1973 Lima, Peru   Panama 3–0 4–0 Friendly
18 20 August 1975 Lima, Peru   Chile 2–0 3–1 Copa America 1975
19 30 September 1975 Belo Horizonte, Brasil   Brazil 2–0 3–1 Copa America 1975
20 17 July 1977 Cali, Colombia   Bolivia 2–0 5–0 1978 World Cup qualifier
21 3–0
22 3 June 1978 Córdoba, Argentina   Scotland 2–1 3–1 1978 World Cup
23 3–1
24 11 June 1978 Córdoba, Argentina   Iran 2–0 4–1 1978 World Cup
25 3–0
26 4–1

Honours change

Porto

Alianza Lima

Fort Lauderdale Sun

Peru

Individual

References change

  1. 1.0 1.1 Karel Stokkermans (30 January 2000). "World Player of the Century". IFFHS' Century Elections. RSSSF. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  2. Teófilo Cubillas Planet World Cup
  3. Martin Tabeira (12 August 2009). "Copa América 1975". RSSSF. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  4. "Group D". World Cup 1970 results and line-ups. RSSSF. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  5. "Group D". World Cup 1978 finals – results and line-ups. RSSSF. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  6. "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC. 4 March 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  7. All-Star First Team Selection (1958–2008) Retrieved on 17 January 2009. Archived 4 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "World Cup Countdown: 12 Weeks to Go - The Story of Teofilo Cubillas, the Peruvian Pele". Sports Illustrated. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "Cubillas: Teófilo Cubillas Arizaga" (in Portuguese). Fora De Jogo. Retrieved 4 November 2012. (stats assumed to be League-only)
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Peruvian Championship: Top Scorer Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  11. Antonio Zea and Marcel Haisma (9 January 2008). "European Champions' Cup 1973–74 – Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  12. David Litterer. "Part 1: Player Biographies, A-H". TOP INTERNATIONAL STARS IN THE NASL, 1967–1984. American Soccer History Archives. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
  13. "Teofilo Cubillas". North American Soccer League Players. Nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  14. "Ft. Lauderdale Strikers". American Soccer League 1988 Season. A-League Archives. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  15. "Teófilo Cubillas – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. 3 November 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2009.
  16. CONMEBOL All-Star Team Archived 10 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  17. NASL All-Star teams, all-time Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  18. "Team Records and League Honors". Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  19. France Football's World Cup Top-100 1930–1990 Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  20. World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  21. Placar's 100 Craques do Século Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  22. Os 100 Craques das Copas (Placar Magazine) Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  23. World – Player of the Century Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  24. South American – Player of the Century Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  25. "The Best of The Best" Retrieved on 3 January 2009
  26. CONMEBOL All-Star first team 1958–2008 Archived 4 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 3 January 2009