Teófilo Cubillas vs David James: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989) · Goalkeeper, England (born 1970, retired 2014)
Comparing Teófilo Cubillas with David James means weighing two very different kinds of greatness. Legacy is the only real measure that outlives the numbers, and both have staked towering claims. The raw numbers read 220 goals in 500 outings for Teófilo Cubillas (0.44/game), versus 0 in 850 for David James (0.00/game). Because assists were not systematically tracked for much of their time, that side of the comparison rests on the footage that survives. The honours ledger favours Teófilo Cubillas with 4 major trophies (4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)) against David James's 1 (1× FA Cup (2008)). History will file Teófilo Cubillas under intelligent greatness and David James under brave greatness — different shelves, same temple. Their routes to the top were distinct: Teófilo Cubillas built his reputation across Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima, peaking around 1978, while David James reached his defining level around 2005 after spells with Watford, Liverpool, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Bristol City, Bournemouth. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
185 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
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.”
The Premier League's most-capped goalkeeper at the time of his retirement, James was renowned for his shot-stopping and occasional highlight-reel errors across a two-decade top-flight career.
“An athletic, agile shot-stopper whose reflexes and command of his box made him a mainstay of English goalkeeping for two decades.”
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× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
- 1× FA Cup (2008)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 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.
- 1988 Professional debut for Watford
- 2008 Won FA Cup with Portsmouth
- 2005 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester City
- 2014 Retired after a final spell at Bournemouth
- Finished his career with 0 goals in 850 appearances and 1 major honours. Finished his career with 0 goals in 850 appearances and 1 major honours.
The verdict
Weighing production against honours, Teófilo Cubillas takes the verdict — a clear margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Teófilo Cubillas edges it (a clear margin)
