Elías Figueroa
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 October 1946 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Valparaíso, Chile | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Sweeper / Central Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1964 | Santiago Wanderers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964–1966 | Santiago Wanderers | 54 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1964 | → Unión La Calera (loan) | 30 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1972 | Peñarol | 214 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1972–1976 | Internacional | 336 | (26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1977–1980 | Palestino | 118 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 22 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | Colo-Colo | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 791 | (38) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1966–1982 | Chile | 47 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1996 | Palestino | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander (born October 25, 1946 in Valparaíso) is a Chilean former football player. He is widely regarded by several pundits as his Chile's greatest footballer of all time, as well as one of the greatest defenders of all time.
Figueroa played for several clubs during his long career, notably his hometown club Santiago Wanderers, Brazilian club Internacional and Uruguayan club Peñarol. He also represented Chile 47 times, appearing in three FIFA World Cups, in 1966, 1974, and 1982.
Figueroa was noted for his elegant style of play, his composure in the centre of defense and his ability to cut out opposition attacks and immediately launch counterattacks from the back with his passing. He was also praised throughout his career for being a gentleman on and off the pitch. He was twice awarded the Bola de Ouro, the Brazilian Player of the year award whilst playing for Internacional in 1972 and 1976. He was also awarded the South American Footballer of the Year three times in a row by Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo in 1974, 1975 and 1976. He was named Best Player in Uruguay in 1967 and 1968, and Best Player in Chile in 1977 and 1978. After retiring, he was named one of the world's 125 best living soccer players by Pelé in 2004, and was also voted 8th best South American and 37th best player in the world of the 20th Century by the IFFHS in 1999.
In March 2011 he revealed that he was considering entering the FIFA Presidential election.
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