Teófilo Cubillas vs Ali Daei: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989) · Striker, Iran (born 1969, retired 2007)
Line up Teófilo Cubillas next to Ali Daei and the contrasts come quickly. Strip away the highlights and the medal count tells its own story for each man. Career output puts Teófilo Cubillas at 220 goals in 500 games, with Ali Daei at 200 in 400. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Teófilo Cubillas departs the game with 4 major pieces of silverware, including 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978); Ali Daei with 4, including 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993). One lifted trophies through silky reliability, the other through explosive moments that decided finals. Club journeys add another layer, with Teófilo Cubillas reaching his representative peak around 1978 across Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima and Ali Daei doing so around 1999 with Persepolis, Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, Hertha BSC, Al-Sadd, Saba Qom. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
172 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Peru's greatest ever player, Cubillas remains the only man to score five goals across two separate World Cups, inspiring Peru's celebrated 1978 side.
“A quick, two-footed attacking midfielder renowned for a ferocious long-range shot and clever dribbling in tight spaces.”
The all-time leading international goalscorer for over a decade with 109 goals, Daei was Asia's most feared centre-forward through the 1990s and 2000s.
“A physically imposing, clinical target man dominant in the air and lethal in front of goal.”
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
- 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
- 3× Iranian Football League (1990, 1991, 1993)
- 1× Hazfi Cup (1993)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1966 Professional debut for Alianza Lima
- 1967 Won Peruvian Primera División with Alianza Lima
- 1978 Reached the peak of his powers at Alianza Lima
- 1989 Retired after a final spell at Alianza Lima
- Finished his career with 220 goals in 500 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 220 goals in 500 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 1988 Professional debut for Persepolis
- 1990 Won Iranian Football League with Persepolis
- 1993 Won Hazfi Cup with Persepolis
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Bayern Munich
- 2007 Retired after a final spell at Saba Qom
- Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 200 goals in 400 appearances and 4 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
