Football in Peru
Encyclopedia
Football is the most popular sport in Peru
. Football in Peru was introduced by British immigrants, Peruvians returning from Great Britain, and by English sailors in the later half of the 19th century during their frequent stops at the port of Callao
, which at that point was considered one of the most important ports of the Pacific Ocean. According to the work entitled La Difusion del Futbol en Lima, during the last decade of the 19th century, records show that sailors were known to practice sports such as football and played against teams made up of Englishmen, Peruvians, or a mix between Englishmen and Peruvians.
is home to an important sporting institution, it was founded in 1845 by English immigrants as Salon de Comercio, renamed in 1859 as the Lima Cricket Club, and was based around the sports of cricket
, rugby
, and football, the club underwent many other name changes such as in 1865 to Lima Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club and in 1906 to Lima Cricket and Football Club
. The oldest football records are found for a Callao vs. Lima match on August 7, 1892, and an Englishmen vs. Peruvian match on June 24, 1894. During the War of the Pacific
, the destruction of various Peruvian towns and cities, including the raid of Lima
, brought the spread of sport in Peru to a momentary stop.
that evolved between the foreigners and the Chalacos began to gain much attention from people elsewhere. As a result, the popularity of the sport eventually extended to Lima
, and even though at first the sport was played without the formality of sports clubs, a few clubs were eventually created in order to continue its practice in the early 20th century. Among these early clubs of the amateur
era were the English community's
Lima Cricket Club founded in 1859 although it is unclear when they first played football, their oldest recorded match having been played on August 7, 1892. They were followed by the Peruvian Ciclista Lima Association
(Lima, 1896), and Club Atlético Chalaco
(Callao, 1899).
In the 1900s, due to the construction of the Panama Canal
, the port of Callao was no longer flooded with the quantity of foreign sailors and travelers that had at one point made the port a point of much cultural diffusion
. Nonetheless, by this moment more Peruvian cities had developed their own football clubs and leagues, the most important being those of Lima, Cusco
, and Arequipa
. Some of the most important new clubs founded at this time were Alianza Lima
(Lima, 1901), Cienciano (Cusco, 1901), FBC Melgar (Arequipa, 1915), the Italian community's
Circolo Sportivo Italiano
(Lima, 1917), Atlético Grau
(Piura
, 1919), Alianza Atletico
(Sullana
, 1920), Universitario de Deportes
(Lima, 1924), Sport Boys
(Callao, 1927), and Coronel Bolognesi
(Tacna
, 1929). As such, the sport rapidly grew in Peru, but the most important amateur league (the Peruvian Football League) stayed in the capital province where a new football rivalry arose between the participating clubs of Lima and the clubs of Callao. Yet, the lack of a central organization often brought much conflict between the teams, and such a situation eventually escalated into a conflict that led to the creation of the Peruvian Football Federation in 1922 and a new Peruvian Football League tournament under the regulation of said organization in 1926.
in 1925, the re-structuring of the national league prevented the creation of a national football team that would be able to participate in the South American Championships of 1925
and the 1926
. Moreover, even though in the club level Peru had a series of strong teams, the Peruvian national team created for the 1927 South American Championship
was the first successful attempt at a national squad for Peru. This first squad was composed from the best players of the Peruvian Football League, but their first game played against Uruguay (recent winners of the Football Olympics) showed a largely disunited team still trying to mold into a united group effort. After losing their first game to Uruguay in a result of 4-0, the Peruvian squad achieved their first victory a few days later against Bolivia in a surprising 3-0 result.
The time that followed saw the appearance of a group of excellent Peruvian football players that would help further expand the popularity of the sport not only in Peru, but also in other countries of South America. During the 1920s and 1930s, Peruvian clubs made a series of international tours due to the high demand of the skill of their players across South America in places such as Colombia
, Venezuela
, and in Chile
. Peru's art of skill and technique of association football was felt and given a highly positive look in these many countries. In Colombia, the appearance of Ciclista Lima Association
allegedly made the Colombian crowds "vibrate with excitement" as they anticipated much skill from the Peruvian squad. In 1928, the Peruvian club Atletico Chalaco made a tour in Chile and defeated seven Chilean teams they faced and only lost to Colo-Colo
. In 1933 Alianza Lima
made a tour in Chile and, with Peruvians such as Teodoro Fernandez
and Alejandro Villanueva
, delighted the audiences with their skill and defeated a series of important Chilean clubs of that time such as Club Deportivo Magallanes
, Santiago Wanderers, Audax Italiano, and Colo-Colo
. In Peru, Alejandro Villanueva
is often remembered as one of the finest exponents of that nation's association football and as the player that amazed the crowds with his bicycle kicks which the people of Lima at first thought was his invention when he executed it in 1928 and it was called "tiro caracol" and, later, upon learning of its roots in Callao, once again called chalaca. In 1930, three years after the Peruvian squad had participated in its first international tournament, they were invited to participate in a new intercontinental competition to be held in Uruguay, the first FIFA World Cup
.
The 1930 FIFA World Cup
was an interesting experience for all the teams participating. For the Peruvian team, their first match against the Romania national football team
was filled with problems as the Romanians and Peruvians played a rough match that eventually led to a broken leg for one of the Romanian players. This and several other incidents on the field, such as the first minute goal by Romania, soon led to the World Cup's first player dismissed, the Peruvian Plácido Galindo. After all the commotion was settled due to this decision by the referee, Peru was able to momentarily tie the game. Nevertheless, the lack of a player and the inexperience of the national side gave (after two consecutive goals) a pleasing 3-1 result to Romania. Afterwards, in the match against the hosts, Uruguay, that would innaugurate the Estadio Centenario
, Peru played an allegedly formidable game against the Charruas. In fact, Peru lost only by one goal to Uruguay, thus showing a sign of improvement from the past 1927 result against Uruguay (whom would later go on to beat Romania 4-0 and eventually crown themselves champions of the tournament).
Later, during 1936 Berlin Olympics, the team further showed how much they had improved since 1927. Largely with the squad of the 1930s, but with a new group of young stars, Peru made a great start by defeating the Finland national football team
with a margin of 7-3. Even more surprisingly, the Peruvians defied all odds and managed to defeat Austria
on a 4-2 result during over-time. Still, the team formally withdrew due to problems with the German government's intervention causing the International Olympic Committee
to nullify Peru's victory against Austria and ordering a re-match. Even though the team was already making history, their perseverance would soon lead them to the consolidation of their grandeour. In 1938, Peru's first international title would finally come during the first Bolivarian Games
, which Peru won after winning all their games against the football teams of Bolivia
, Ecuador
, Colombia
, and Venezuela
. Then, further consolidating their status as Peru's first golden generation, the national squad won Peru's first South American Championship
(later known as Copa America) in 1939. Once again, the national squad lost none of its matches and in their path to the finals defeated Ecuador, Chile, and Paraguay. For the final, Peru had to yet again face Uruguay, but this time the team was able to overcome the challenge and defeated Uruguay by a close margin of 2-1. Peruvian player Teodoro Fernández
became the tournament's maximum goal scorer with 7 goals, and currently retains the historic second place of the competition. As a result of these many titles, victories, and important showings, the early years of Peru's football history went extraordinarily well, and the team was able to effectively build its game along with the increasing competition of the CONMEBOL region.
held in Rome. Even though the team was only capable of beating the India national football team
after losing to France
and Hungary
, the squad once again began to give its fans bright hopes for the future.
, Pedro Pablo Leon
, Héctor Chumpitaz
, Ramon Mifflin
, Hugo Sotil
, Roberto Challe
, and César Cueto, helped make South American football a fierce competitor of European football at a time when teams throughout the world were becoming better at this sport. The participations of Peru in the 1970, 1978, and 1982 FIFA World Cups made the national team once again leave its mark in international competitions as the world saw with awe the elegant and technical play of a Peruvian squad that had a thirst for victory. The participation of Peru in the 1970 FIFA World Cup
remains as one of the most memorable as the squad caused sensation as they advanced into the quarterfinals after first eliminating Argentina
in the qualifiers, defeating Bulgaria
3-2 after trailing 0-2, losing 3-1 to Germany
, and defeating Morocco
3-0. Moreover, their game against Brazil, which they lost 4-2, is usually considered as one of the best World Cup games to have ever been played. Not only that, but in 1975 Peru achieved its second Copa America title, and thus another set of players consolidated their mark in Peruvian sports history. Furthermore, the Peruvian squad once more took the title of football champions at the Bolivarian Games twice during these times. Along with an increase of better teams within the Peruvian league, Peru kept up its game up well into the late 1980s.
further crushed the hopes for the team as a series of good players ready to play for the national team died. Although there were still several good players like Julio César Uribe
, Nolberto Solano
, Claudio Pizarro
, and José del Solar
, the team was no longer the "Golden Team" of the 70s. In terms of Copa America, the squad could only go as far as the quarterfinals before getting eliminated. Meanwhile, in the World Cup qualifiers, the team was not able to even get close to reaching another FIFA tournament until 1998, but that dream was also twarthed by a goal difference with Chile
. The only important title the team won during these years was the Kirin Cup, were they shared first place with Belgium.
The early 21st century brought with it the same Peruvian team, a shadow of its former self. Nevertheless, the squad began getting new revivals once the team began getting new young players with new hopes and goals. As the years kept going, Peruvian football once more started to give signs of vitality as local teams from the league began doing rather well in international competitions. Yet, the results were still vastly the same for the Peruvian team in terms of both the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Quite surprisingly, Peru was able to do well when they were invited to participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
and even won another Kirin Cup in 2005. Meanwhile, in 2007, the football fans of Peru received another great surprise as the national U-17 squad
qualified and reached the quarterfinals (for their first time) of their FIFA World Cup. With young star players like Jefferson Farfán
and José Paolo Guerrero
had given new hopes to fans that things would turn around for the better.
Nonetheless the possibilities of Peru securing a CONMEBOL place for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
have completely vanished since the team has tumbled to the bottom of the qualification table.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Football in Peru was introduced by British immigrants, Peruvians returning from Great Britain, and by English sailors in the later half of the 19th century during their frequent stops at the port of Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, which at that point was considered one of the most important ports of the Pacific Ocean. According to the work entitled La Difusion del Futbol en Lima, during the last decade of the 19th century, records show that sailors were known to practice sports such as football and played against teams made up of Englishmen, Peruvians, or a mix between Englishmen and Peruvians.
Introduction of football in Peru (19th century)
LimaLima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
is home to an important sporting institution, it was founded in 1845 by English immigrants as Salon de Comercio, renamed in 1859 as the Lima Cricket Club, and was based around the sports of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, and football, the club underwent many other name changes such as in 1865 to Lima Cricket and Lawn Tennis Club and in 1906 to Lima Cricket and Football Club
Lima Cricket and Football Club
Lima Cricket and Football Club is the oldest sports club in Peru, and one of the oldest in South America. Lima Cricket is possibly the oldest football club in the Americas. Currently, it participates in the district league of San Isidro....
. The oldest football records are found for a Callao vs. Lima match on August 7, 1892, and an Englishmen vs. Peruvian match on June 24, 1894. During the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
, the destruction of various Peruvian towns and cities, including the raid of Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, brought the spread of sport in Peru to a momentary stop.
Amateur era (Early 20th century)
After the war, the sports rivalrySports rivalry
A sports rivalry is intense competition between athletic teams or athletes. This pressure of competition is felt by players, coaches, and management, but is perhaps felt strongest by the fans. The intensity of the rivalry varies from a friendly competition on one end to serious violence on the...
that evolved between the foreigners and the Chalacos began to gain much attention from people elsewhere. As a result, the popularity of the sport eventually extended to Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, and even though at first the sport was played without the formality of sports clubs, a few clubs were eventually created in order to continue its practice in the early 20th century. Among these early clubs of the amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
era were the English community's
British Peruvian
A British Peruvian is a Peruvian person of British descent. The phrase may refer to someone born in Peru of British descent. Among European Peruvians, the British were the fifth largest group of immigrants to settle in the country after the Spanish, Italians, Germans, the Swiss or/and the French...
Lima Cricket Club founded in 1859 although it is unclear when they first played football, their oldest recorded match having been played on August 7, 1892. They were followed by the Peruvian Ciclista Lima Association
Ciclista Lima
Ciclista Lima Association is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Lima. It is the second oldest club in Peru.The club is the biggest of Lima city, and one of the biggest in Lima Province....
(Lima, 1896), and Club Atlético Chalaco
Club Atlético Chalaco
-History:The club was founded on June 9, 1899 that young students of the Instituto Chalaco founded this centennial institution in the Marco Polo Nº 19 street, house of the captain Mr. Federico Rincón, father of one of the students founders...
(Callao, 1899).
In the 1900s, due to the construction of the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, the port of Callao was no longer flooded with the quantity of foreign sailors and travelers that had at one point made the port a point of much cultural diffusion
Cultural diffusion
In cultural anthropology and cultural geography, cultural diffusion, as first conceptualized by Alfred L. Kroeber in his influential 1940 paper Stimulus Diffusion, or trans-cultural diffusion in later reformulations, is the spread of cultural items—such as ideas, styles, religions, technologies,...
. Nonetheless, by this moment more Peruvian cities had developed their own football clubs and leagues, the most important being those of Lima, Cusco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
, and Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
. Some of the most important new clubs founded at this time were Alianza Lima
Alianza Lima
Club Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...
(Lima, 1901), Cienciano (Cusco, 1901), FBC Melgar (Arequipa, 1915), the Italian community's
Italian Peruvian
An Italian Peruvian is a Peruvian citizen of Italian descent. The phrase may refer to someone born in Peru of Italian descent or to someone who has immigrated to Peru from Italy...
Circolo Sportivo Italiano
Circolo Sportivo Italiano
Circolo Sportivo Italiano is a Peruvian football club, playing in the department of Pueblo Libre , Lima.-History:The club have played at the highest level of Peruvian football on nine occasions, from 1926 Peruvian Primera División until 1934 Peruvian Primera División when was...
(Lima, 1917), Atlético Grau
Atlético Grau
Club Atlético Grau is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Piura, Peru.The club were founded 1919 and play in the Copa Perú which is the third division of the Peruvian league.-History:...
(Piura
Piura
Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 377,496.It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the third Spanish city in South America and first in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in July 1532...
, 1919), Alianza Atletico
Alianza Atlético
Club Alianza Atlético Sullana is a Peruvian football club, located in the city of Sullana, Piura. The club was founded on January 18, 1920 and in 1988, they were promoted to the top tier of Peruvian football, the Peruvian Primera División...
(Sullana
Sullana
Sullana is the name of the capital of the Sullana Province, in the north-western coastal plains of Peru on the Chira valley.-Location:Sullana is located at 04°53' south latitude and 80°41' west longitude, 38 km north of Piura, the capital of the region.-Climate:The province has a tropical...
, 1920), Universitario de Deportes
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...
(Lima, 1924), Sport Boys
Sport Boys
Sport Boys Association is a Peruvian football club, playing in the port city of Callao. It was founded on Peru's independence day, July 28, 1927....
(Callao, 1927), and Coronel Bolognesi
Coronel Bolognesi
Coronel Bolognesi is a Peruvian football club located in the city of Tacna. It was founded on 1998 and is named after Francisco Bolognesi.The club is the biggest of Tacna city.-Stadium:...
(Tacna
Tacna
- Rail :Tacna is served by a cross-border standard gauge railway to Arica, Chile.It is also the location of the National Railway Museum of Peru.-Air:Tacna is served by the Crnl. FAP...
, 1929). As such, the sport rapidly grew in Peru, but the most important amateur league (the Peruvian Football League) stayed in the capital province where a new football rivalry arose between the participating clubs of Lima and the clubs of Callao. Yet, the lack of a central organization often brought much conflict between the teams, and such a situation eventually escalated into a conflict that led to the creation of the Peruvian Football Federation in 1922 and a new Peruvian Football League tournament under the regulation of said organization in 1926.
Professional era and regional recognition (1920s to 1930s)
Even though the Peruvian Football Federation had joined CONMEBOLCONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
in 1925, the re-structuring of the national league prevented the creation of a national football team that would be able to participate in the South American Championships of 1925
South American Championship 1925
The ninth South American Championship was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 29 to December 25, 1925.In 1925, the participating countries were Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Chile and Uruguay withdrew from the tournament, making this event the one with the fewest participating teams...
and the 1926
South American Championship 1926
The tenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Santiago, Chile from October 12 to November 3, 1926.The participating countries were Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay....
. Moreover, even though in the club level Peru had a series of strong teams, the Peruvian national team created for the 1927 South American Championship
South American Championship 1927
The eleventh edition of the South American Championship was held in Lima, Peru from October 30 to November 27, 1927. The participating countries were Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Uruguay. Brazil, Chile and Paraguay withdrew from the tournament. This was the first South American Championship in...
was the first successful attempt at a national squad for Peru. This first squad was composed from the best players of the Peruvian Football League, but their first game played against Uruguay (recent winners of the Football Olympics) showed a largely disunited team still trying to mold into a united group effort. After losing their first game to Uruguay in a result of 4-0, the Peruvian squad achieved their first victory a few days later against Bolivia in a surprising 3-0 result.
The time that followed saw the appearance of a group of excellent Peruvian football players that would help further expand the popularity of the sport not only in Peru, but also in other countries of South America. During the 1920s and 1930s, Peruvian clubs made a series of international tours due to the high demand of the skill of their players across South America in places such as Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Peru's art of skill and technique of association football was felt and given a highly positive look in these many countries. In Colombia, the appearance of Ciclista Lima Association
Ciclista Lima
Ciclista Lima Association is a Peruvian football club, playing in the city of Lima. It is the second oldest club in Peru.The club is the biggest of Lima city, and one of the biggest in Lima Province....
allegedly made the Colombian crowds "vibrate with excitement" as they anticipated much skill from the Peruvian squad. In 1928, the Peruvian club Atletico Chalaco made a tour in Chile and defeated seven Chilean teams they faced and only lost to Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
. In 1933 Alianza Lima
Alianza Lima
Club Alianza Lima is a Peruvian First Division football club who plays at the Estadio Alejandro Villanueva in the La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. They are one of the most famous and well supported clubs in the country and the oldest team in the Peruvian First Division.Alianza enjoyed success...
made a tour in Chile and, with Peruvians such as Teodoro Fernandez
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
and Alejandro Villanueva
Alejandro Villanueva
For the stadium by this name in Peru, see Estadio Alejandro VillanuevaCarlos Alejandro Villanueva Martinez was a Peruvian football player, considered one of the most important Alianza strikers in the 1920s and 1930s.-Career:Born in Lima, he played his entire career for Alianza Lima...
, delighted the audiences with their skill and defeated a series of important Chilean clubs of that time such as Club Deportivo Magallanes
Club Deportivo Magallanes
Deportes Magallanes are a Chilean Football club based in Maipu, Santiago. They currently play at the second level of Chilean football, the Primera B....
, Santiago Wanderers, Audax Italiano, and Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
. In Peru, Alejandro Villanueva
Alejandro Villanueva
For the stadium by this name in Peru, see Estadio Alejandro VillanuevaCarlos Alejandro Villanueva Martinez was a Peruvian football player, considered one of the most important Alianza strikers in the 1920s and 1930s.-Career:Born in Lima, he played his entire career for Alianza Lima...
is often remembered as one of the finest exponents of that nation's association football and as the player that amazed the crowds with his bicycle kicks which the people of Lima at first thought was his invention when he executed it in 1928 and it was called "tiro caracol" and, later, upon learning of its roots in Callao, once again called chalaca. In 1930, three years after the Peruvian squad had participated in its first international tournament, they were invited to participate in a new intercontinental competition to be held in Uruguay, the first FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
The 1930 FIFA World Cup
1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
was an interesting experience for all the teams participating. For the Peruvian team, their first match against the Romania national football team
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
was filled with problems as the Romanians and Peruvians played a rough match that eventually led to a broken leg for one of the Romanian players. This and several other incidents on the field, such as the first minute goal by Romania, soon led to the World Cup's first player dismissed, the Peruvian Plácido Galindo. After all the commotion was settled due to this decision by the referee, Peru was able to momentarily tie the game. Nevertheless, the lack of a player and the inexperience of the national side gave (after two consecutive goals) a pleasing 3-1 result to Romania. Afterwards, in the match against the hosts, Uruguay, that would innaugurate the Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
, Peru played an allegedly formidable game against the Charruas. In fact, Peru lost only by one goal to Uruguay, thus showing a sign of improvement from the past 1927 result against Uruguay (whom would later go on to beat Romania 4-0 and eventually crown themselves champions of the tournament).
Later, during 1936 Berlin Olympics, the team further showed how much they had improved since 1927. Largely with the squad of the 1930s, but with a new group of young stars, Peru made a great start by defeating the Finland national football team
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
with a margin of 7-3. Even more surprisingly, the Peruvians defied all odds and managed to defeat Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
on a 4-2 result during over-time. Still, the team formally withdrew due to problems with the German government's intervention causing the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
to nullify Peru's victory against Austria and ordering a re-match. Even though the team was already making history, their perseverance would soon lead them to the consolidation of their grandeour. In 1938, Peru's first international title would finally come during the first Bolivarian Games
Bolivarian Games
The Bolivarian Games are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization...
, which Peru won after winning all their games against the football teams of Bolivia
Bolivia national football team
The Bolivia national football team is the national team of Bolivia and is controlled by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol. After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once—in 1994...
, Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
, Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
, and Venezuela
Venezuela national football team
The Venezuela national football team is the national football team of Venezuela and is controlled by the Federación Venezolana de Fútbol. It is nicknamed La Vinotinto , because of the traditional burgundy color of their shirts....
. Then, further consolidating their status as Peru's first golden generation, the national squad won Peru's first South American Championship
South American Championship 1939
The fifteenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Lima, Peru from January 15, 1939 to February 12, 1939.The participating countries were Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Although CONMEBOL member since 1927, this tournament was the first time the Ecuadorian side...
(later known as Copa America) in 1939. Once again, the national squad lost none of its matches and in their path to the finals defeated Ecuador, Chile, and Paraguay. For the final, Peru had to yet again face Uruguay, but this time the team was able to overcome the challenge and defeated Uruguay by a close margin of 2-1. Peruvian player Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
became the tournament's maximum goal scorer with 7 goals, and currently retains the historic second place of the competition. As a result of these many titles, victories, and important showings, the early years of Peru's football history went extraordinarily well, and the team was able to effectively build its game along with the increasing competition of the CONMEBOL region.
Decline and rise (1940s-1960s)
Nonetheless, due to a series of internal problems, Peru's football years after this first golden generation did not involve any other major accomplishments. The 1940s and 1950s flew by with only the achievements of a gold and bronze medal at the Bolivarian Games, and a couple of third places in the Copa America. During the 1960s Peru began to slowly show signs of improvement as the team won the Bolivarian Games of Barranquilla and qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
held in Rome. Even though the team was only capable of beating the India national football team
India national football team
The Indian national football team is the national football team of India and is governed by the All India Football Federation. It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation. Since 1948, the AIFF has been affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body for football. In 1954, AIFF became...
after losing to France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
and Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, the squad once again began to give its fans bright hopes for the future.
1970s Golden Generation (1970s to 1980s)
Once into the 1970s, the Peruvian "Blanquirrojas" rose with a spark of international victories and a string of young football stars that made the team once more a major competitive force in the world of football. Players like Teófilo CubillasTeófilo Cubillas
Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga is a Peruvian former footballer. He was selected as Peru's greatest ever player in an IFFHS poll, in which he was also included in the world's Top 50...
, Pedro Pablo Leon
Pedro Pablo León
Pedro Pablo León García , also known as Pedro "Perico" León, is a retired Peruvian footballer.-Career:León made 49 appearances for the Peru national football team between 1963 and 1973...
, Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Eduardo Chumpitaz González is a former footballer from Peru...
, Ramon Mifflin
Ramón Mifflin
Ramón Antonio Mifflin Páez is a former Peruvian football player.- Career :He started his career in Centro Iqueño in 1963, by 1965 he played in Defensor Arica, and signed with Peruvian team Sporting Cristal in 1968 after being named player of the year...
, Hugo Sotil
Hugo Sotil
Hugo Alejandro Sotil Yerén is a Peruvian former professional football player. Nicknamed El Cholo, he played as a striker or midfielder. Together with Teófilo Cubillas and Héctor Chumpitaz, he was one of Peru's most recognized football players of the 1970s...
, Roberto Challe
Roberto Challe
Roberto Federico Chale Olarte, "Roberto Challe" is a former Peruvian football player, recognized as one of Peru's most important midfielders....
, and César Cueto, helped make South American football a fierce competitor of European football at a time when teams throughout the world were becoming better at this sport. The participations of Peru in the 1970, 1978, and 1982 FIFA World Cups made the national team once again leave its mark in international competitions as the world saw with awe the elegant and technical play of a Peruvian squad that had a thirst for victory. The participation of Peru in the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
remains as one of the most memorable as the squad caused sensation as they advanced into the quarterfinals after first eliminating Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in the qualifiers, defeating Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
3-2 after trailing 0-2, losing 3-1 to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, and defeating Morocco
Morocco national football team
The Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
3-0. Moreover, their game against Brazil, which they lost 4-2, is usually considered as one of the best World Cup games to have ever been played. Not only that, but in 1975 Peru achieved its second Copa America title, and thus another set of players consolidated their mark in Peruvian sports history. Furthermore, the Peruvian squad once more took the title of football champions at the Bolivarian Games twice during these times. Along with an increase of better teams within the Peruvian league, Peru kept up its game up well into the late 1980s.
Modern history (1990s to present)
Heading towards the 21st century, the 1990s were not very good years for the Peruvian football team. The terrible 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster1987 Alianza Lima air disaster
The 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster took place on December 8, 1987, when a Peruvian Navy Fokker F27-400M chartered by Peruvian football club Alianza Lima plunged into the Pacific Ocean six miles short of its destination, off the Ventanilla District of the city of Callao...
further crushed the hopes for the team as a series of good players ready to play for the national team died. Although there were still several good players like Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe
Julio César Uribe Flores is a Peruvian football manager and former player. Uribe is currently the manager of Peruvian First Division club Unión Comercio since the second half of the 2011 Descentraliazado season....
, Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Solano
Nolberto Albino "Nobby" Solano Todco is a Peruvian footballer who plays for Hartlepool United. He has spent much of his career in the English Premier League and also played 95 times for Peru between 1994 and 2009...
, Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio is a Peruvian football forward. Pizarro plays for Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga...
, and José del Solar
José del Solar
José Guillermo del Solar Alvarez-Calderón is a retired Peruvian footballer who played as a defensive midfielder, and a current coach....
, the team was no longer the "Golden Team" of the 70s. In terms of Copa America, the squad could only go as far as the quarterfinals before getting eliminated. Meanwhile, in the World Cup qualifiers, the team was not able to even get close to reaching another FIFA tournament until 1998, but that dream was also twarthed by a goal difference with Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
. The only important title the team won during these years was the Kirin Cup, were they shared first place with Belgium.
The early 21st century brought with it the same Peruvian team, a shadow of its former self. Nevertheless, the squad began getting new revivals once the team began getting new young players with new hopes and goals. As the years kept going, Peruvian football once more started to give signs of vitality as local teams from the league began doing rather well in international competitions. Yet, the results were still vastly the same for the Peruvian team in terms of both the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Quite surprisingly, Peru was able to do well when they were invited to participate in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
and even won another Kirin Cup in 2005. Meanwhile, in 2007, the football fans of Peru received another great surprise as the national U-17 squad
Peru national under-17 football team
Despite the current failures of the senior side, the Peruvian U-17 team has given brand new stars and hopes to Peruvian fans early in the year of 2007. After their first FIFA U-17 World Cup appearance in 2005 , the youth team greatly improved in skill and determination. Their first U-17 World Cup...
qualified and reached the quarterfinals (for their first time) of their FIFA World Cup. With young star players like Jefferson Farfán
Jefferson Farfán
Jefferson Agustín Farfán Guadalupe is a Peruvian football player, playing for Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga.-Club career:Farfán began his professional career with Alianza Lima of Peru, with whom he signed for in 2001...
and José Paolo Guerrero
José Paolo Guerrero
José Paolo Guerrero Gonzales is a Peruvian footballer who plays as a striker for Hamburger SV and Peruvian national team. Known as the best peruvian soccer player today.- Early career :...
had given new hopes to fans that things would turn around for the better.
Nonetheless the possibilities of Peru securing a CONMEBOL place for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
have completely vanished since the team has tumbled to the bottom of the qualification table.