Zico vs Elías Figueroa: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Brazil (born 1953, retired 1994) · Centre-Back, Chile (born 1946, retired 1982)
Zico against Elías Figueroa is the kind of comparison that fuels pub arguments for hours. Strip away the highlights and the medal count tells its own story for each man. Zico finishes with 525 career goals from 732 games — a 0.72 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. In major honours Zico collected 9 — headlined by 4× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A — whereas Elías Figueroa amassed 5, led by 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968). Zico built his medal haul through years of orchestrating consistency, while Elías Figueroa won his with anticipatory bursts of brilliance. The wider career context matters too: Zico peaked around 1981 after representing Flamengo, Udinese, Kashima Antlers, while Elías Figueroa's defining level came around 1974 across Santiago Wanderers, Peñarol, Internacional, Palestino, Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Arguments will run and run, which is exactly why the matchup endures.
170 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico, is a Brazilian football coach and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. A creative playmaker with excellent technical skills, vision and an eye for goal, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and also considered one of the best free kick specialists in history. According to one estimate, Zico has scored the most direct free kicks in history, with 101 goals including friendlies, among which 62 are verified in official games.
“A free-kick artist and incisive number ten whose final pass arrived before defenders could react.”
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
- 4× Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
- 2× Uruguayan Primera División (1967, 1968)
- 3× Campeonato Gaúcho (1973, 1974, 1975)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1973 Established himself at Flamengo
- 1977 Reached his defining peak
- 1981 Delivered a landmark season
- 1994 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 against honours, Zico takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Zico edges it (a decisive margin)
