Rui Costa vs Teófilo Cubillas: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Portugal (born 1972, retired 2008) · Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989)
Line up Rui Costa next to Teófilo Cubillas and the contrasts come quickly. Where pure finishing is concerned, this is a shootout between two of the most feared marksmen of their time. By the end Rui Costa had 90 goals from 550 caps and club outings; Teófilo Cubillas had 220 from 500. Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Rui Costa is credited with 100 and Teófilo Cubillas with 0. The honours ledger favours Rui Costa with 4 major trophies (2× Coppa Italia (1996, 2001)) against Teófilo Cubillas's 4 (4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)). Rui Costa scored with a orchestrating that defined his era, while Teófilo Cubillas's finishing carried a intelligent all of its own. Club journeys add another layer, with Rui Costa reaching his representative peak around 2000 across Benfica, Fiorentina, AC Milan, Benfica and Teófilo Cubillas doing so around 1978 with Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
186 words · comparison angle: goalscoring
Player profiles
A wonderfully elegant Portuguese playmaker, Rui Costa was the creative fulcrum of Fiorentina's late-90s side before winning the Champions League with AC Milan.
“A visionary, effortlessly stylish playmaker celebrated for his weighted through-balls and elegant range of passing.”
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
- 2× Coppa Italia (1996, 2001)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2003)
- 1× Serie A (2004)
- 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1990 Professional debut for Benfica
- 1996 Won Coppa Italia with Fiorentina
- 2004 Won Serie A with AC Milan
- 2000 Reached the peak of his powers at Fiorentina
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Benfica
- Finished his career with 90 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 90 goals in 550 appearances and 4 major honours.
- 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, 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
