Teófilo Cubillas vs Rafael van der Vaart: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989) · Attacking Midfielder, Netherlands (born 1983, retired 2018)
Ask any fan to rank Teófilo Cubillas above or below Rafael van der Vaart and you will get a passionate answer. Reputations harden into legacies, and few careers cast longer shadows than these two. Across his senior career Teófilo Cubillas notched 220 goals in 500 appearances (0.44 per game), while Rafael van der Vaart recorded 180 in 600 (0.30 per game). 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 Rafael van der Vaart with 100. The honours ledger favours Teófilo Cubillas with 4 major trophies (4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)) against Rafael van der Vaart's 2 (1× Eredivisie (2002)). History will file Teófilo Cubillas under creative greatness and Rafael van der Vaart under incisive greatness — different shelves, same temple. 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 Rafael van der Vaart doing so around 2010 with Ajax, Hamburger SV, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, Hamburger SV, Real Betis, FC Midtjylland. Greatness, in cases like this, is rarely a zero-sum affair.
204 words · comparison angle: legacy
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 creative, elegant Dutch playmaker known for spectacular long-range volleys, Van der Vaart shone at Ajax, Real Madrid and Tottenham before a stellar return to Hamburg.
“A gifted attacking midfielder with a knack for scoring outrageous long-range strikes and threading incisive final passes.”
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× Eredivisie (2002)
- 1× KNVB Cup (2002)
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.
- 2000 Professional debut for Ajax
- 2002 Won Eredivisie with Ajax
- 2002 Won KNVB Cup with Ajax
- 2010 Reached the peak of his powers at Real Madrid
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at FC Midtjylland
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 600 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 600 appearances and 2 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
