Jorge Campos vs Elías Figueroa: Stats Compared
Goalkeeper, Mexico (born 1966, retired 2004) · Centre-Back, Chile (born 1946, retired 1982)
Line up Jorge Campos next to Elías Figueroa and the contrasts come quickly. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. Jorge Campos finishes with 40 career goals from 686 games — a 0.06 strike rate — against Elías Figueroa's 40 from 600 at 0.07 per match. Reliable assist tallies simply do not exist for large stretches of their careers, leaving creativity to the eye rather than the spreadsheet. Jorge Campos departs the game with 8 major pieces of silverware, including 1× Mexican Primera División; Elías Figueroa with 5, including 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968). Stylistically Jorge Campos was imposing where Elías Figueroa was uncompromising — two vocabularies of the same sport. Their routes to the top were distinct: Jorge Campos built his reputation across Pumas UNAM, Atlante, Cruz Azul, peaking around 1991, while Elías Figueroa reached his defining level around 1974 after spells with Santiago Wanderers, Peñarol, Internacional, Palestino, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
175 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Jorge Campos Navarrete (born 15 October 1966) is a Mexican professional football coach and player who plays as a goalkeeper for Tercera Federación – Group 7 club México FC. A notable player of Mexico in the 1990s and early 2000s, Campos was an eccentric player, known for his constant play outside the penalty area – often functioning as a sweeper-keeper, as well as his acrobatic, risky, and flamboyant style of goalkeeping, and his colourful playing attire. His main strengths as a goalkeeper were his leaping ability, athleticism, and speed when rushing off his line, as well as his ability to organize his defense, which enabled him to overcome his short stature.
“A fearless, undersized goalkeeper who compensated with spring, bravery and unusual footwork.”
A three-time South American Footballer of the Year, Figueroa is widely considered the finest defender the continent has produced, marshalling Internacional's dominant 1970s side.
“An imperious, elegant centre-back who combined aerial dominance with composed distribution well ahead of his era.”
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
- 1× Mexican Primera División
- 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968)
- 3× Campeonato Gaúcho (1973, 1974, 1975)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1983 Established himself at Pumas UNAM
- 1987 Reached his defining peak
- 1991 Delivered a landmark season
- 2004 Retired from professional football
- 1965 Professional debut for Santiago Wanderers
- 1967 Won Uruguayan Primera División with Peñarol
- 1973 Won Campeonato Gaúcho with Internacional
- 1974 Reached the peak of his powers at Internacional
- 1982 Retired after a final spell at Fort Lauderdale Strikers
- Finished his career with 40 goals in 600 appearances and 5 major honours. Finished his career with 40 goals in 600 appearances and 5 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
