player
Elías Figueroa: Career Stats, Clubs and Honours
Elías Figueroa career statistics, clubs, senior international record, major honours, playing style and all-time defender ranking case.
Summary
Figueroa paired aerial authority and anticipation with a level of South American recognition few defenders have matched.
Quick facts
- Primary role
- Centre back
- Senior career
- 1964–1982
- Major clubs
- Santiago Wanderers, Peñarol, Internacional, Palestino
- Senior national record
- 47 caps / 2 goals for Chile
- Defenders ranking
- #16 in The Top Football's all-time list
Verified record
Career statistics
Documented senior first-team appearances and goals by club, plus official senior international caps and goals.
| Club | Years | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago Wanderers | 1964–1966 | 54 | 0 |
| Unión La Calera | 1964 | 30 | 0 |
| Peñarol | 1967–1972 | 214 | 7 |
| Internacional | 1972–1976 | 336 | 27 |
| Palestino | 1977–1980 | 118 | 6 |
| Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 1981 | 22 | 0 |
| Colo-Colo | 1981–1982 | 17 | 0 |
| Club total | — | 791 | 40 |
| National team | Years | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 1966–1982 | 47 | 2 |
Major team honours
- Peñarol Uruguayan Primera División ×2
- Internacional Brazilian championship ×2
- Palestino Chilean Primera División ×1
- Palestino Copa Chile ×1
Historical South American totals combine the documented competition scopes used by the cited records and should not be read as league-only figures.
Stats sources: WorldFootball — Elías Figueroa match record .
Career path
Figueroa moved from Chile to Peñarol, then became a defining player for Internacional before returning home with Palestino and Colo-Colo. He won major league titles in Uruguay, Brazil and Chile.
Playing style
He was dominant in the air but not restricted to emergency defending. Figueroa read the game from the front, stepped into challenges with balance and could begin possession cleanly.
International record
Chile used Figueroa in 47 official senior internationals and three World Cups. Contemporary federation records differ on his goal total; this page follows the two-goal record used by Treccani’s sporting profile.
All-time ranking case
Three consecutive South American Footballer of the Year awards make Figueroa essential to any list that claims to look beyond Europe. That is the basis for placing him at number 16 in our best football defenders of all time ranking.
Sources