Kenny Dalglish vs Teófilo Cubillas: Stats Compared
Forward / Playmaker, Scotland (born 1951, retired 1990) · Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989)
Line up Kenny Dalglish next to Teófilo Cubillas and the contrasts come quickly. Their textures on the ball are what fans actually remember, and they could hardly be more different. Across his senior career Kenny Dalglish notched 355 goals in 672 appearances (0.53 per game), while Teófilo Cubillas recorded 220 in 500 (0.44 per game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. In major honours Kenny Dalglish collected 9 — headlined by 3× European Cup (1978, 1981, 1984) — whereas Teófilo Cubillas amassed 4, led by 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978). Stylistically Kenny Dalglish was ruthless where Teófilo Cubillas was creative — two vocabularies of the same sport. Context beyond the headline totals is important: Kenny Dalglish's landmark level arrived around 1983 with a career spanning Celtic, Liverpool; Teófilo Cubillas's came around 1978 across Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima. Whichever side you land on, both belong in any conversation about the finest of their generation.
185 words · comparison angle: style
Player profiles
Sir Kenneth Mathieson Dalglish (born 4 March 1951) is a Scottish former football player and manager. During his career, he made 338 appearances for Celtic and 515 for Liverpool, playing as a forward, and earned a record 102 caps for the Scotland national team, scoring 30 goals, also a joint record. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
“A calm, clever forward whose link play and finishing lifted Liverpool’s greatest sides.”
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× European Cup (1978, 1981, 1984)
- 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1975 Established himself at Celtic
- 1979 Reached his defining peak
- 1983 Delivered a landmark season
- 1990 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
Weighing production against honours, Kenny Dalglish takes the verdict — a decisive margin, driven by a sharper goalscoring record.
Kenny Dalglish edges it (a decisive margin)
