Elías Figueroa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Elías Figueroa

Figueroa in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander
Date of birth	(1946-10-25) 25 October 1946 (age 78)
Place of birth	Valparaíso, Chile
Height	1.86 m
Playing position	Sweeper, centre-back
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	(7)
1972–1976	Internacional	336	(27)
1977–1980	Palestino	118	(6)
1981	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	22	(0)
1981–1982	Colo-Colo	17	(0)
Total		791	(40)
National team
1966–1982	Chile	47	(3)
Teams managed
1994–1996	Palestino
Honours Player Peñarol Winner Uruguayan Primera División 1967 Winner Uruguayan Primera División 1968 Winner Supercopa de Campeones Intercontinentales 1969 Internacional Winner Campeonato Gaúcho 1972 Winner Campeonato Gaúcho 1973 Winner Campeonato Gaúcho 1974 Winner Campeonato Brasileiro 1975 Winner Campeonato Gaúcho 1975 Winner Campeonato Brasileiro 1976 Winner Campeonato Gaúcho 1976 Palestino Winner Copa Chile 1977 Winner Chilean Primera Division 1978
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander (born 25 October 1946) is a famous Chilean former footballer. He played for many clubs during his long career. Some of his most well-known teams were Santiago Wanderers in his hometown, Internacional in Brazil, and Peñarol in Uruguay.

He also played for the Chile national team 47 times. He even played in three FIFA World Cup tournaments: in 1966, 1974, and 1982.

Many people think Figueroa was one of the greatest defenders ever. He was known for his smooth playing style. He was calm in defense and great at stopping attacks. He could also quickly start new attacks with his excellent passes. People also admired him for being a true gentleman on and off the field.

Figueroa won many awards. He received the Bola de Ouro twice as Brazil's best player. This was in 1972 and 1976 while playing for Internacional. He was also named South American Footballer of the Year three times in a row. This happened in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He was the best player in Uruguay in 1967 and 1968. Later, he was the best player in Chile in 1977 and 1978.

After he stopped playing, Pelé, a football legend, named him one of the world's 125 best living football players in 2004. He was also voted the 8th best South American player. He was the 37th best player in the world of the 20th Century. This was decided by the IFFHS in 1999.

Elías Figueroa: A Football Legend

Early Life and Youth Career

Figueroa in the mid-1970s

Elías Figueroa was born in Valparaíso, Chile. His birthday is October 25, 1946. He started playing football in Chile with Florida High Quilpué. In 1962, he joined the youth team of his hometown club, Santiago Wanderers.

Professional Club Career

Starting in Chile

Figueroa began his professional career in 1963. He was only 16 years old. He played in the top Chilean football league. His first team was the Santiago Wanderers senior squad. In 1964, he was loaned to Unión La Calera. That same year, at just 17, he was called to the Chile national youth team.

Shining with Peñarol

Many foreign teams noticed his great playing. After a tournament in Montevideo in 1967, he joined Peñarol in Uruguay. At that time, Peñarol was a very strong team. Figueroa quickly became a star. He was chosen as the best player in the Uruguayan Championship in 1967, 1968, and 1971. He had great success there. He helped Peñarol win the Uruguayan Championship in 1967, 1968, and 1969. When he left in 1971, fans were very sad to see him go.

Success Continues with Internacional

Figueroa with the Chile national team before playing Ecuador in 1977

By 1972, Figueroa was a highly respected player. He wanted to improve even more. Brazilian club Internacional de Porto Alegre signed him. He had amazing success there too. He won the Brazilian championship in 1975 and 1976. He also won five Campeonato Gaúcho Championships with the team. In 1974, his team won all 18 games to take the title.

Elías Figueroa was a key player for Internacional. Fans remember his famous "Illuminated goal" in the 1975 final. He was named Brazil's best central defender from 1973 to 1976. He won the Bola de Prata award. He was also voted the Brazilian League's Player of the Year in 1975 and 1976. For this, he won the Bola de Ouro Award. He became even more famous when he was named South American Footballer of the Year. He won this award in 1974, 1975, and 1976. He beat many other top South American players for this honor.

Later Career and Retirement

After his time in Brazil, Figueroa went back to Chile in 1977. He joined Palestino. With them, he won the Chile National Championship in 1977 and 1978. He was also named the Best Player in Chile in both those years. In 1981, like many famous players, he went to the United States. He played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

Later that year, he returned to Chile again. He joined Colo-Colo in Santiago. He finished his amazing career there. In 1982, after playing for 20 years, he officially retired. He won an impressive 22 titles in total during his career.

International Career for Chile

Figueroa played 47 games for the Chilean national team. He scored two goals between 1966 and 1982.

He was the captain of the Chile national team many times. He led the Chilean squad during their most successful period. They qualified for three World Cups with him as captain. He played in the 1966 FIFA World Cup in England. He was also a key player in the 1974 FIFA World Cup in Germany. There, he was chosen as the best central defender of the tournament. He also played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. In 1974, he was part of the World Cup's All-Star team.

He was also captain when Chile finished third in the South American Championship 1967. He led them to a great second place in the Copa América 1979.

How Elías Figueroa Played

Figueroa was known as "Don Elías." He was excellent at guessing what attackers would do. He could read the game very well and mark players closely. Figueroa was also great at starting counter-attacks from defense. He was calm with the ball, had great vision, and could pass accurately. His playing style was often compared to Franz Beckenbauer. Beckenbauer would often make long passes. Figueroa, however, usually used shorter, sharp passes to move his teammates forward.

Figueroa was also a threat when attacking. He would often move forward to help score goals. He could also take powerful shots himself. He remembered a play where he would run forward unmarked. He would then make a central attack. He had good technical skills and was physically strong. He was good in the air and in one-on-one challenges. He was known for his leadership. He also had a reputation for being a clean and fair player. He only received one red card in his entire career. He was chosen as captain for every team he played for. A journalist once called him "elegant, as an earl dressed in suit, and dangerous as a Bengal Tiger."

After Retirement

Sports Commentator

After retiring from playing, Figueroa became a television sports commentator. He talked about Chilean and Brazilian football. He was very successful in this new job too.

Coaching Role

In December 2006, Figueroa was a coach for Chile. They played a friendly game against Aragon.

Considered for FIFA President

In 2011, Figueroa was considered as a candidate to lead FIFA. This was a big role in world football. He decided not to accept because he felt he didn't have enough time to prepare.

Elías Figueroa's Legacy

In 1999, Figueroa was honored as one of the top eleven players from Latin America. He was also part of a special group called the Great Masters Cup. This ceremony was held in France.

His time playing in Brazil was so successful. Some journalists there even divided football history into "before and after Figueroa." He is considered the best Chilean player ever.

Honours and Awards

Peñarol

• Primera División: 1967, 1968
• Intercontinental Champions' Supercup: 1969
• Copa Libertadores runner-up: 1970

Internacional

• Campeonato Gaúcho: 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1975, 1976

Palestino

• Copa Chile: 1977
• Primera División: 1978

Chile

• Copa América runner-up: 1979

Individual

See also

In Spanish: Elías Figueroa para niños

• Bola de Prata
• Bolo de Ouro
• South American Footballer of the Year
• FIFA 100
• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards