Wesley Sneijder vs Teófilo Cubillas: Stats Compared
Attacking Midfielder, Netherlands (born 1984, retired 2019) · Attacking Midfielder, Peru (born 1949, retired 1989)
Wesley Sneijder and Teófilo Cubillas represent two answers to the same question: how do you define a great? Long after the final whistle, what lingers is influence, and each man reshaped his corner of the game. On production alone, Wesley Sneijder posted 152 goals across 573 appearances while Teófilo Cubillas managed 220 across 500. 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 Wesley Sneijder collected 8 — headlined by 1× UEFA Champions League (2010) — whereas Teófilo Cubillas amassed 4, led by 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978). Their legacies diverge in texture: Wesley Sneijder is remembered as creative, Teófilo Cubillas as silky. Club journeys add another layer, with Wesley Sneijder reaching his representative peak around 2010 across Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter, Galatasaray and Teófilo Cubillas doing so around 1978 with Alianza Lima, FC Basel, Alianza Lima, FC Porto, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Alianza Lima. Few pairings invite such entrenched disagreement, and fewer still deserve it this much.
180 words · comparison angle: legacy
Player profiles
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch former professional footballer. Noted for his playmaking ability, he was considered one of the best midfielders in the world during his prime. A product of the Ajax Youth Academy, Sneijder started his professional career playing for Ajax, with whom he won four trophies and was awarded the Johan Cruyff Trophy in 2004.
“A sharp, two-footed creator who could unlock a defence or score from 25 yards.”
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
- 1× UEFA Champions League (2010)
- 4× Peruvian Primera División (1967, 1969, 1970, 1978)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 2002 Established himself at Ajax
- 2006 Reached his defining peak
- 2010 Delivered a landmark season
- 2019 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
Reasonable people will disagree, but Wesley Sneijder wins out by a decisive margin on the weight of a weightier trophy cabinet.
Wesley Sneijder edges it (a decisive margin)
