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Teófilo Cubillas Arizaga (born March 8, 1949 near Puente Piedra, Peru) was a Peruvian football player. He is considered the greatest football player Peru has ever had. He has the most goals of any Peruvian football player in World Cup competition, with 10 goals. He scored 26 goals in 81 matches for the Peruvian national team, which remains the all-time record in goals for his country.
Nicknamed "Nene" (baby), Cubillas' career began with Peruvian club Alianza Lima at the age of 16. When he was 20, he helped Peru advance to the quarterfinals of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. In 1972 he was elected "South American Footballer of the Year". The following year he left his homeland to play for Swiss soccer club FC Basel, signing a contract for US$97,000. Unable to settle in Switzerland or maybe because he received a better offer, Cubillas moved to Portuguese club FC Porto, with a US$200,000 contract.
Peru was not able to qualify for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, but a year later Cubillas helped the Peruvian team gain a second South American title, with two beautiful goals winning 3-1 over Brazil in the semifinals. In the 1978 World Cup, Peru advanced to the second phase of the tournament due to the goals of "Nene".
Cubillas returned to his old team Alianza, and in 1979 he signed with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. In 5 NASL seasons he scored 65 goals, including 3 goals in 7 minutes against the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1981. He went to the 1982 World Cup, with no luck. Months later he would retire from the Peru national team.
He made a return from retirement to play for his first club, Alianza Lima, after its entire first team died at an aircraft crash on the sea in front of Ventanilla, Lima, on December 8th 1987, the biggest player-related disaster in the history of Peruvian football. He played few matches mostly as a sign of both respect for the fallen and hope for the supporters.
Cubillas currently resides in Coral Springs, Florida, where he owns a youth soccer camp. He was named by Pelé as one of the 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He is adored by Alianza Lima supporters and by most of Peruvians, as both a marvelous football player and a wonderful human being.
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Honors
International Team Honors & Titles
- Peru national football team 1970-78, 81-86
- Football World Cup 1970, 1978, 1982
- Copa América Champion, 1975
Goals & Matches
- 26 goals in 81 class "A" international matches, of which 45 were with the Peruvian team
- 7th place in World Cup history with 10 goals (as of 2002 World Cup)
- Alianza Lima: 295 goals.
- Peruvian team: 117 matches, 45 goals.
- 2 times top goal maker of the Peruvian league (1966, 1971)
- 16th place in the NASL all time players, with 179 points, 5 seasons, 120 matches and 59 goals.
Awards
- Champion Alianza Lima: 1977 & 1978
- South American MVP 1972
- Best Forward NASL 1981
- 11th place in the all-time top players according to the Argentinian magazine "El Gráfico"
- Member of the All-Star team of the NASL in 1981
- Member of the 2nd all-time team of the NASL
- "Botín de Plata" (Silver Boot) in the world cup Argentina 1978 for being the 2nd top scorer in that tournament.de:Teofilo Cubillas