Teófilo Cubillas vs Paul Ince: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989) · Central Midfielder, England (born 1967, retired 2006)
When Teófilo Cubillas and Paul Ince are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. They occupied different roles, which makes a like-for-like verdict a careful exercise. Career output puts Teófilo Cubillas at 220 goals in 500 games, with Paul Ince at 90 in 650. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Teófilo Cubillas is credited with 0 and Paul Ince with 60. The honours ledger favours Teófilo Cubillas with 4 major trophies (4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)) against Paul Ince's 4 (2× Premier League (1993, 1994)). The attacking midfielder duties of Teófilo Cubillas leaned dictatorial; the central midfielder responsibilities of Paul Ince leaned silky. The wider career context matters too: Teófilo Cubillas peaked around 1978 after representing Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima, while Paul Ince's defining level came around 1994 across West Ham United, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swindon Town. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
183 words · comparison angle: role
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 first Black player to captain England, Ince was a combative, driving midfielder at the heart of Manchester United's early Premier League dominance.
“An aggressive, all-action midfielder whose tackling and late runs into the box made him a formidable box-to-box presence.”
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)
- 2× Premier League (1993, 1994)
- 2× FA Cup (1990, 1994)
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.
- 1986 Professional debut for West Ham United
- 1993 Won Premier League with Manchester United
- 1990 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1994 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2006 Retired after a final spell at Swindon Town
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 650 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Paul Ince wins out by a narrow margin on the weight of superior creative output.
Paul Ince edges it (a narrow margin)
