Elías Figueroa

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Elías Figueroa
Personal information
Full name	Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander
Date of birth	October 25, 1946 (age 60)
Place of birth	Valparaíso, Chile
Nickname	Don Elías, Dios do Beira-Río
Playing position	Centre Back
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1965 1965-1967 1967-1971 1971-1977 1977-1980 1980-1981 1982	Unión La Calera Santiago Wanderers Peñarol Internacional Palestino Fort Lauderdale Strikers Colo-Colo	241 0(6) 336 (26) 028 0(0)
National team
1966-1982	Chile	70 (2)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. * Appearances (Goals)

Elías Ricardo Figueroa Brander (born October 25, 1946 in Valparaíso) is a former football (soccer) player from Chile. He was considered the best player in America in 1974, 1975, 1976, one of the world's best defenders in football history and all-time best football player in Chile.

[edit] Clubs

Brander played most of his career with Chilean clubs. However he also spent time in Uruguay with Peñarol, Brazil with Internacional and the USA with Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

He was designated "Best player" of Uruguay in 1967 and 1968. He was also nominated Best football player in South-America from 1974, 1975 and 1976, Best Defender in World Cup Germany 1974 and "Best player" of Brazilian football in 1975 and 1976. Also "Best player" of Chilean football in 1977 and 1978.

FIFA named him Player of the year in 1976 and one of the world's 100 best living soccer players.

[edit] National team

He has 70 and 2 goals caps for Chile and played in England 1966, Germany 1974, and Spain 1982 World Cups. In 1979 he was the captain in the Chile`s second place on Copa América 1979.

	Chile squad - 1974 FIFA World Cup
1 Vallejos | 2 García | 3 Quintano | 4 Arias | 5 Figueroa | 6 Rodríguez | 7 Caszely | 8 Valdés | 9 Ahumada | 10 Reinoso | 11 Véliz | 12 Machuca | 13 González | 14 Lara | 15 Galindo | 16 Páez | 17 Yávar | 18 Socías | 19 Farías | 20 Castro | 21 Olivares | 22 Nef | Coach: Alamos

	Chile squad - 1982 FIFA World Cup
1 Wirth | 2 Garrido | 3 Valenzuela | 4 Bigorra | 5 Figueroa | 6 Dubó | 7 Bonvallet | 8 Rivas | 9 Letelier | 10 Soto | 11 Moscoso | 12 Cornez | 13 Caszely | 14 Ormeño | 15 Yáñez | 16 M. Rojas | 17 O. Rojas | 18 Galindo | 19 Escobar | 20 Neira | 21 Gamboa | 22 Osbén | Coach: Santibañez

[edit] Titles

• Champion of Uruguay in 1967 and 1968 with Peñarol
• Champion of Rio Grande do Sul State (Brazil) in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976 with Internacional
• Champion of Brazil in 1975 and 1976 with Internacional
• Winner of Chile Cup in 1977 with Palestino
• Champion of Chile in 1978 with Palestino

Preceded by Pelé	South American Footballer of the Year 1974, 1975, 1976	Succeeded by Zico
Preceded by Johan Cruyff	World Soccer Player of the Year 1975	Succeeded by Franz Beckenbauer