Teófilo Cubillas vs Per Mertesacker: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989) · Centre-Back, Germany (born 1984, retired 2018)
Few debates split football fans quite like Teófilo Cubillas versus Per Mertesacker. Beyond the numbers, each man brought a singular aesthetic to the pitch. By the end Teófilo Cubillas had 220 goals from 500 caps and club outings; Per Mertesacker had 15 from 550. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — Teófilo Cubillas is listed at 0 and Per Mertesacker at 5 where figures survive. The honours ledger favours Teófilo Cubillas with 4 major trophies (4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)) against Per Mertesacker's 4 (1× FIFA World Cup (2014)). Teófilo Cubillas played with a intelligent that made him unmistakable; Per Mertesacker brought a commanding that was equally his own. 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 Per Mertesacker doing so around 2014 with Hannover 96, Werder Bremen, Arsenal. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
176 words · comparison angle: style
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.”
A towering, calm German centre-back nicknamed 'BFG' by Arsenal fans, Mertesacker started every match of Germany's triumphant 2014 World Cup campaign.
“A commanding, positionally intelligent centre-back whose reading of the game compensated for a lack of raw pace.”
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)
- 1× FIFA World Cup (2014)
- 3× FA Cup (2014, 2015, 2017)
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.
- 2001 Professional debut for Hannover 96
- 2014 Won FIFA World Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Won FA Cup with Arsenal
- 2014 Reached the peak of his powers at Arsenal
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Arsenal
- Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 15 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but Teófilo Cubillas wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
Teófilo Cubillas edges it (a clear margin)
