Diego Maradona vs Teófilo Cubillas: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Argentina (born 1960, retired 1997) · Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989)
When Diego Maradona and Teófilo Cubillas are mentioned in the same breath, opinions rarely stay quiet. Goals are the coldest, hardest metric in football, and both players stockedpile them. By the end Diego Maradona had 293 goals from 582 caps and club outings; Teófilo Cubillas had 220 from 500. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Diego Maradona departs the game with 6 major pieces of silverware, including 1× FIFA World Cup (1986); Teófilo Cubillas with 4, including 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978). Their finishing mirrored their personalities: Diego Maradona predatory, Teófilo Cubillas incisive. Club journeys add another layer, with Diego Maradona reaching his representative peak around 1986 across Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla, Newell's Old Boys and Teófilo Cubillas doing so around 1978 with Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
171 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
Argentine legend who almost single-handedly led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup and transformed Napoli into Italian and European contenders.
“A low-centre-of-gravity left-footed genius whose dribbling and playmaking carried teams single-handedly.”
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.”
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× FIFA World Cup (1986)
- 1× UEFA Cup (1989)
- 2× Serie A (1987, 1990)
- 1× Copa Italia (1987)
- 1× Argentine Primera División (1981)
- 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1976 Argentinos Juniors debut ten days before his 16th birthday
- 1981 Joined Boca Juniors and won the Argentine league
- 1982 World-record transfer to Barcelona
- 1984 Signed for Napoli for another world-record fee
- 1987 Led Napoli to their first ever Serie A title
- 1990 Captained Argentina to a second consecutive World Cup final
- 1997 Played his final professional matches at Boca Juniors
- 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.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Diego Maradona takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Diego Maradona edges it (a decisive margin)
