Sócrates vs Teófilo Cubillas: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Brazil (born 1954, retired 1989) · Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989)
Sócrates and Teófilo Cubillas represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Silverware is the currency of legacy, and both players filled cabinets that few can rival. Sócrates finishes with 258 career goals from 594 games — a 0.43 strike rate — against Teófilo Cubillas's 220 from 500 at 0.44 per match. Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. Trophy counts give Sócrates 8 and Teófilo Cubillas 4, with 3× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978) the standout honours respectively. Sócrates built his medal haul through years of dictatorial consistency, while Teófilo Cubillas won his with intelligent bursts of brilliance. Club journeys add another layer, with Sócrates reaching his representative peak around 1982 across Botafogo-SP, Corinthians, Fiorentina, Flamengo and Teófilo Cubillas doing so around 1978 with Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima. Rank them how you like — both names are carved into the sport's permanent record.
181 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira (19 February 1954 – 4 December 2011), simply known as Sócrates, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a midfielder. His medical degree and his political awareness, combined with style and quality of his play, earned him the nickname "Doctor Socrates". Famous for his beard and the headband he wore during the 1986 World Cup in solidarity with victims of the Mexico City earthquake, Sócrates became the "symbol of cool for a whole generation of football supporters".
“A languid playmaker whose backheels, vision and civic conviction made him unforgettable.”
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
- 3× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1974 Established himself at Botafogo-SP
- 1978 Reached his defining peak
- 1982 Delivered a landmark season
- 1989 Retired from professional football
- 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
Reasonable people will disagree, but Sócrates wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Sócrates edges it (a decisive margin)
