The Best Peruvian Football Players of All Time
Some of the most passionate football fans in the world come from South America. Obviously, Brazil and Argentina are globally renowned for their footballing skills – and we all know the greats such as Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho etc. However, we can overlook Peru – and that’s very much to our detriment. There have been some incredible footballing talents from this country, and although it is much underrated, this is historically one of the strongest footballing nations at the CONMEBOL level. As such, football betting fans, not just in Peru or South America, but from across the world have certainly had some fun with these players.
In this article, we will look at some of the greatest Peruvian football players of all time.
Hector Chumpitaz
Héctor Eduardo Chumpitaz Gonzáles was born in April 1943 and played as a Centre Back. This man is one of the players who can boast the most appearances in the history of the national team. The legendary defender was once considered the best in the world and he is still considered one of the best defenders ever in South America. In total, he played in defence for his country 105 times.
Not only was he a solid defender, but he was also an excellent leader, which made him one of the most formidable players in Peru between 1960 and 1970. During this time he was one of the key players in the 1975 Copa America winning team.
His career spanned between 1964 and 1984, and during this time he played 570 matches for club and country, scoring 68 goals.
Hugo Sotil
Next, we have Hugo Alejandro Sotil Yerén, who was born back in May 1946 and was a star striker. This top-three player is a legend for club and country. He played for FC Barcelona and managed to be in a winning La Liga team. However, to simply summarise his football contribution with that would be unfair.
Sotil stood out on the national stage, playing for clubs such as Deportivo Municipal, Alianza Lima and also the international team Deportivo Independiente Medellin.
As well as this, he was a big part of the Peruvian squad that won the Copa America title in 1975 – and he was a key player in that tournament. As well as this, he comes eighth in the list of players with the most goals in the history of Peru, with 18 goals in 62 games.
His career spanned between 1968 and 1986 and during this time he played 356 matches for club and country, scoring a total of 128 goals.
Claudio Pizarro
Almost at the top spot, we have Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio, who was born in October 1978 and played as a striker. How could he not be close to the top? He is, without a doubt, the Peruvian football player who has had the biggest impact on the old continent with his talent, his charisma – and his goals!
This legendary striker comes fifth in the list of top scorers for the country, with a tally of 20. However, despite this, he has never been able to win any titles with his Peruvian team. The closest he ever got was in the 2015 Copa America in Chile, where they placed third.
He also boasts the accolade of being the foreign player with the most titles in the history of Bayern Munich. Pizarro is also the all-time top scorer for Werder Bremen and one of the top all-time scorers in the Bundesliga.
His career spanned from 1996 until 2020 and during this time, he played 681 matches for club and country, scoring 256 goals.
Teofilo Cubillas
In the top spot, we have Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga, who was born in March 1949 and played as an attacking midfielder. He is widely considered to be the best player in the history of Peruvian footballers. He is third on the list of top scorers in the Peruvian team, with 26 goals from 81 games. He was also a part of the golden generation, which conquered the continent, winning the 1975 Copa America and was a key player in World Cup tournaments.
This is evidenced by the fact that he was named the best young player in the 1970 World Cup after having won the bronze boot. Then, in 1978, he was part of the all-star team and went one better, winning the silver boot.
His career spanned from 1966 to 1989 and during that time he played 587 games for club and country, scoring 317 goals.
This is the reason that he stands just above his other team comrades – as he was the top scorer in the most successful Peruvian squad ever. This, therefore makes him the best player in the history of Peruvian footballers.
So, our top Peruvian football players are right there – players who have made a massive impact not just in their country but across the globe. There are obviously many more who could easily make the list – but these are the ones that stood out for us, giving football fans across the country and the world something to cheer about!