Peru national football team
Encyclopedia
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international
football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF). The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA
's CONMEBOL
conference, which encompasses the countries of South America. The traditional colors of the team are white and red, the colors of the Peruvian flag
, and the team is commonly known as la Blanquirroja (Spanish for "the white-and-red").
Founded in 1927, the team plays its home matches primarily at the Estadio Nacional
in Lima. The team's players' ethnicities reflect of the multicultural society of Peru. Peru has won the Copa América
twice
, and qualified for four FIFA World Cup
tournaments. It has also qualified for two Olympic tournaments where it reached the quarter final stages. Peru's traditional footballing rival
is Chile
, but the team also has a prominent rivalry with Colombia
.
The Peruvian team's performance has been inconsistent, although it is considered to have enjoyed two successful periods in the 1930s and 1970s. Early in its history, Peru participated in World Cup
tournaments and enjoyed victories in the 1938 Bolivarian Games
and the 1939 Copa América
, when it was led by Teodoro Fernández
, Juan Valdivieso
and Alejandro Villanueva
. Its 1950s side, which included Alberto Terry
and Valeriano López
, was considered to be among the top 20 strongest footballing nations of the decade
, despite not winning any major tournaments. Peruvian football's successful period in the 1970s brought Peru back to world recognition, with players such as Héctor Chumpitaz
, Hugo Sotil
, and Teófilo Cubillas
. This team qualified for three FIFA World Cups and won the Copa América in 1975
.
Peru's 1982 World Cup
participation was its last to date: the national team has not since won a major tournament or participated in a World Cup tournament. The team was temporarily suspended from international participation by FIFA in late 2008 due to allegations of corruption involving government sport authorities and the FPF. Peru has currently appointed Uruguayan Sergio Markarián
as its head coach and, after achieving third place at the 2011 Copa America
, hopes to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
.
, then an important Pacific Ocean port. During their free time, English sailors played football and invited the local Chalacos (people from Callao) to participate. It is thought that during these early games, the move known as the chalaca (short for "Chalacan Strike"), or bicycle kick
, originated. By the 1890s, British sporting clubs in Lima
such as Lima Cricket
and Lawn Tennis were already playing football. Football became popular in Peru because it was played by British residents and by Peruvians returning from England.
The growing sports rivalry
between foreign visitors and local Chalacos soon gained the attention of Peruvians beyond the port. Before the formation of the first clubs and leagues in the early 20th century, football was not an organized sport. In the 1900s, the construction of the Panama Canal
limited the quantity of foreign sailors and travelers visiting Callao, minimizing the port's influence as a center of cultural diffusion
. By then, football clubs and leagues had been formed in other Peruvian cities, including Lima
, Cusco
, and Arequipa
. Peru's most important amateur league, the capital province's "Peruvian Football League," housed the growing rivalry between Callao clubs and those from nearby Lima. The lack of a centralized organization led to constant conflicts between the teams, and one such conflict resulted in the creation of the Peruvian Football Federation (PFF) in 1922, and a Peruvian Football League
tournament, which was regulated by the PFF, in 1926.
The Peruvian Football Federation joined CONMEBOL
in 1925, but internal and economic problems prevented the creation of a national team. In 1922, an unofficial national team played against an Uruguayan team sponsored by the Uruguayan Football Association. Talented Peruvian football players gained international recognition for their skills, which inspired Peruvian clubs to tour throughout South America to places. Thanks to significant numbers of British residents in Peru, the acceptance of the game by the local elites, and the rapid development of the sport among the urban poor of La Victoria
district in Lima, Peru formed the strongest footballing culture in the Andean region at this time.
In 1927, the Peruvian national football team was officially created. The team hosted the 1927 South American Championship, and Peru reached third place after losing to Uruguay by 4–0 in their debut match, defeating Bolivia
3–2, and losing to Argentina 1–5. However, because of internal corruption and the Great Depression
, the team that played in the 1929 edition
was selected by social favoritism rather than player skill, and lost all its games. A year later, the Peruvian team, known colloquially as la Blanquirroja (The White and Red One), was invited to participate in the first World Cup
in Uruguay.
The 1930s is considered to be the first golden era of Peruvian football. At the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup, the Peruvian team failed to progress beyond the group stages, despite which the Uruguayan audience was surprised by the Peruvians' level of skill. Between 1933 and 1934, the national squad, composed mainly of players from Universitario de Deportes
, Alianza Lima
, and Atletico Chalaco, united with the Chilean squad
to form the Combinado del Pacifico, called by European media the "Peru-Chile XI" and "All-Pacific". This team toured England, Germany, France, and Spain until August 1935. Teodoro Fernandez
became the team's top goal scorer with 48 goals in 39 games.
Peru was the only South American football team to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The team began the tournament well, defeating Finland
7–3. Players for Peru included Teodoro Fernández, Alejandro Villanueva
, Juan Valdivieso
, and Adelfo Magallanes
. The IFFHS considers this Peruvian side to have been "...a technically excellent and strong attacking side" that had "...everything to be a finalist." The Peruvians eliminated the Austrian Wunderteam
, favorites to win the tournament, defeating them 4–2 in extra time. After the game, the Austrian team alleged that the Peruvian players had manhandled them, and that Peruvian spectators, one brandishing a revolver
, had invaded the pitch during overtime. However, Peru - the away team - had few supporters, and the nationalities or identities of the spectators who entered the field during the regular time were never discovered. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, the International Olympic Committee
, presided by Jules Rimet
, nullified the result and ordered a re-match behind closed doors, and the Peruvian and Colombian delegations forfeited the games in protest. The story was told differently by European and South American media; the exact details of the incident remain unknown. Nowadays, the IFFHS is the only international football organization to condemn the actions taken against Peru in the tournament.
In 1938, Peru won its first international title at the first Bolivarian Games
, defeating Bolivia, Ecuador
, Colombia
and Venezuela
. In 1939, Peru won its first South American Championship
(known later as the Copa América). The Peruvians defeated the Uruguayan team by 2–1 in the final, after eliminating Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay. Peru became the fourth nation to become South American champions, after Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
, where the team's most positive performances came from goalkeeper José Soriano. Peru would not win another international title until 1947, when the side won the Bolivarian Games
. Peru gained third place at the 1949 South American Championship
, held in Brazil, after defeating Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay.
By the 1950s, Peru had again become more successful in South American football, ranking among the top 20 strongest football nations of the decade
. In the Pan-American Championship of 1952 the Peruvians defeated Panama
and Mexico
, tied with Brazil and lost to Chile and Uruguay in close matches. Players such as Alberto Terry
, Guillermo Barbadillo, Valeriano López
, Félix Castillo
, and Óscar Gómez Sánchez
contributed to Peru's competitive play throughout the 1950s. During 1953 and 1954, Peru won its only two titles of the decade, twice winning the Copa del Pacífico (Pacific Cup), a trophy disputed between Chile and Peru every time the two sides play. In the 1955 South American Championship
, Peru's national squad's campaign gained third place. However, he team fared poorly at the Pan-American Championship held in Mexico, and the South American Championship in Montevideo
. The team made a slight recovery as the decade closed, reaching fourth place at the 1957 and 1959 South American Championships, and defeating England
4–1 in an exhibition match.
During the 1960s, Peru won the Bolivarian Games in Barranquilla
and qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics
in Rome. However, these would be Peru's only achievements that decade; the team did not gain a top four ranking in the 1963 South American Championship
, did not qualify for the Chile
and England
World Cups, and was unable to regain the Copa del Pacífico.
Peru's second golden generation period started in late 1969, when the squad qualified for the Mexico 1970 World Cup. The goals of "Cachito" Ramírez
led to a draw with Argentina at a game popularly called La Bombonera in reference to the Alberto J. Armando stadium
, the game's venue. The squad, managed by "Didi" Pereira, followed a 4–2–4 formation
that typically comprised José Fernández, Orlando de la Torre
, Héctor Chumpitaz
, and Nicolás Fuentes
as the defenders; Ramón Mifflin
and Roberto Challe
as midfielders; Julio Baylón
, Pedro Pablo León
, Teófilo Cubillas
, and Alberto Gallardo
as forwards and Luis Rubiños
as the goalkeeper.
During Peru's participation in the 1970 FIFA World Cup
, the squad reached the quarterfinals, defeating Bulgaria
3–2 and Morocco
3–0, and losing 3–1 to Germany
. Although Peru lost the quarterfinal game to Brazil by 4–2, Peru won the Copa del Pacífico, were invited to participate in the Brazil Independence Cup, and won the Copa Mariscal Sucre. The squad also won their second Copa America in 1975
.
In 1978, Peru again qualified for the World Cup. The squad, led by Marcos Calderón
, had a different (4–4–2) formation from the early 70s structure. Jaime Duarte, Héctor Chumpitaz, Rubén Díaz, and Germán Leguía
were defenders; César Cueto, Percy Rojas
, Teófilo Cubillas, and José Velásquez played at midfield; Juan José Muñante
, Juan Carlos Oblitas
, Guillermo La Rosa
, and Hugo Sotil
were the attackers and Ramón Quiroga
the goalkeeper.
Before the World Cup, the national squad defeated China
and Hungary
. Peru reached the World Cup finals, coming top of their group after defeating Scotland (3–1), tying with the Netherlands
(0–0) and defeating Iran
(4–1). However, in the second round, Peru came last in their group, losing to Brazil (0–3), Poland (0–1), and to Argentina (0–6) in a controversial match that prompted allegations of fixing by Argentina's military junta. After the tournament, the squad played some international friendly matches to prepare for the Copa America of 1979
; it drew against Scotland at Glasgow
(1–1) and defeated Uruguay in Lima
(2–0), in which Peru were eliminated by Chile in the semifinals.
Peru successfully qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup
, defeating Uruguay - the Mundialito
winners - and Colombia. Under the direction of Tim, Peru won the Pacific Cup and led a European and African tour in which Peru defeated Hungary (2–1), France (1–0), tied Algeria
(1–1), and upon their return to Peru, defeated Romania (2–0). Tim's squad was composed of a 4–4–2 formation with Jaime Duarte, Rubén Toribio Díaz, Salvador Salguero
, and Jorge Olaechea
in defense; César Cueto, José Velásquez, Julio César Uribe
, and Teófilo Cubillas
in midfield; Gerónimo Barbadillo
and Juan Carlos Oblitas
as forwards and Ramón Quiroga
as goalkeeper. In the 1982 World Cup, hosted by Spain, Peru tied with Cameroon and Italy, and lost 5–1 against Poland. Peru's elimination marked the end of a period when the team's "...flowing football was admired across the globe."
Peru did not qualify for the 1986 World Cup, requiring a victory against Argentina in order to directly qualify, but drew their match against Argentina, led by Diego Maradona
. Peru lost a play-off match against Chile. Also in 1986, Peru were invited to participate in its first Asian tournament, the Nehru Cup, held in India. In the 1987 Copa América, which inaugurated that tournament's alphabetical host rotation system, Peru did not progress past the first round, despite drawing against hosts Argentina (1–1) and Ecuador (1–1).
On December 8, 1987, an aircraft carrying Alianza Lima
's team and coaching staff crashed into the Pacific Ocean
. Several victims were national team members. Midfielder José Casanova
, goalkeeper José González Ganoza
, forwards Luis Escobar
and Alfredo Tomassini
and coach Marcos Calderón were killed. Nonetheless, in 1989 Peru attained second and third places in the Marlboro Cup (soccer) and the Copa Centenario de Armenia 1989 (in Armenia, Colombia
), respectively. Peru won two games (5–1 against Venezuela in 1991, and 1–0 against Chile in 1993) in the next four Copa América editions. Moreover, the squad did not win any games in the 1990 and 1994 World Cup qualifiers, ending up last in both of their groups.
Peru's situation improved as the team attained fourth place at the 1997 Copa América, third place at the 1997 U.S. Cup
, and in 1998, in the newly implemented round-robin tournament
, but did not qualify for the World Cup tournament due to their goal difference with Chile. In 1999, the team won their first Kirin Cup
in Japan, and won it again in 2005. In 2000, the team competed in the CONCACAF Gold Cup
tournament with Colombia
and South Korea, and earned third place in the North American competition.Peru reached eight place in the 2002 and 2006 Gold Cup competitions, and the quarterfinals in the 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2007 Copa América competitions.
In 2007, Peru's under 17 squad
surprised the nation, qualifying and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
. Having been charged with corruption, Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) president Manuel Burga's re-election was made illegal by the Peruvian government and in November 2008, FIFA
suspended several FPF and Peruvian Football League officials and referees. The national team was barred from participating in international competitions after allegations were made of irregularities between the FPF, the Peruvian Institute of Sports (IPD), and the Peruvian government
. After IPD president Arturo Woodman
agreed to discuss matters and reach an agreement with the FPF, FIFA President Sepp Blatter
lifted the bans and restrictions. The incident prevented Peru from hosting the 2009 South American Youth Championship
, which was held instead in Venezuela. With FIFA's approval, the FPF later reappointed Burga.
and Magaly Medina
revealed that a series of Peru's best-known football players, including Claudio Pizarro, Andrés Mendoza, Santiago Acasiete
, Paolo Guerrero, and Jefferson Farfán
, were seen at nightclubs and parties days before the team's qualifier matches. Some players were banned from playing for the national team while others were put under investigation. The national team languished at the bottom of the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.
Peru did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup, being eliminated early in the competition, and were the first CONMEBOL squad eliminated from the finals. The Peruvian sports press called the 2010 squad "Los Hijos de Burga" (the "Sons of Burga"), in reference to the FPF's president, who was criticized for Peru's poor performance in their qualifying campaign. The press called the squad the worst in the national team's 82-year history and called for Burga's resignation. After the qualifying phase of the competition, Juan Manuel Vargas
and Nolberto Solano
, who retired from the team, expressed their hopes that the national squad's fortunes would improve. The team finished last in the qualifying tournament, winning 3 matches and gaining 13 points. In the August 2009 FIFA World Rankings
, Peru reached spot 91, its lowest to 2010.
On July 2, 2010, Uruguayan Sergio Markarián
took charge of the national team tasked with leading Peru in the 2011 Copa América
and the 2014 FIFA World Cup
. His work with the squad received positive comments from Pelé
, and Peru won the Kirin Cup
for a third time. Markarián's first challenge was another indiscipline scandal; Markarián temporarily banned Jefferson Farfán, Reimond Manco, and John Galliquio. Peru achieved third place at the 2011 Copa América, even though several of the team's key players were unavailable because of injuries.
finals, the first in 1930 and the last in 1982. Luis de Souza Ferreira
scored Peru's first World Cup goal in the 1930 match against Romania. Teófilo Cubillas
is the team's top World Cup scorer with 10 goals in two competitions. Four managers have led Peru in the competition: Spaniard Francisco Bru (1930), Brazilians Valdir Pereira
(1970) and Elba de Pádua Lima (1982), and Peruvian Marcos Calderón
(1978). Pereira's 1970 squad reached the quarter-finals; the team's furthest progression in the World Cup.
In 1930, Peru were eliminated in the group stage after losing to Romania
(1–3) and Uruguay (0–1). During the match against Romania, Peru's Plácido Galindo
became the first player to be sent off
during a World Cup. In 1969, Peru lost 1–2 to Bolivia in the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
, after which the referee, Sergio Chechelev, admitted Argentina paid him to fix the game
in Bolivia's favor. Peru qualified for the 1970 FIFA World Cup
, drawing 2–2 against Argentina
, preventing Argentina's World Cup qualification for the first time. The 1970 team led by "Didi" Pereira beat Bulgaria 3–2 after trailing 0–2 at half-time, beat Morocco (3–0), lost to Germany (1–3) and were eliminated by Brazil (2–4) in the quarterfinals.
Peru qualified for the 1978 cup held in Argentina, and was placed in Group 4
, becoming group leader after defeating Scotland
(3–1) and Iran
(4–1), and drawing with the Netherlands
(0–0). In the second round, rumors circulated that Peru had been paid by the Argentine military government
to play poorly and concede the goals Argentina needed to reach the final; it was further rumored that the Peruvian goalkeeper, Ramón Quiroga
, who was born in Argentina. None of the allegations could be proven, and Argentina won the tournament. Before the Spain 1982 World Cup came, the Peruvian squad embarked upon a successful practice tour in Europe and Africa, but were eliminated after drawing against Cameroon (0–0) and Italy (1–1) and defeated by Poland (5–1).
in 1925, Peru hosted the Copa América
in 1927, 1935, 1939, 1953, 1957, 2004; and won it in 1939 and 1975. Demetrio Neyra
scored the national team's first goal in the 1927 edition held in Lima
. Peru's team boasted three players who scored the largest quantity of goals in the tournament, Teodoro Fernández
(7 goals, 1939), Eduardo Malásquez
(3 goals, 1983) and Paolo Guerrero (5 goals, 2011). Teodoro Fernández in 1939 and 1941, Miguel Loayza
in 1959 and Paolo Guerrero in 2011 scored hat-trick
s in the competition. Two managers have led Peru to tournament victories, Englishman Jack Greenwell (1939) and Peruvian Marcos Calderón
(1975).
In 1939 Peru achieved its first Copa América title, defeating Ecuador 5–2, Chile 3–1, and Paraguay 3–0 to reach the final. With players Teodoro Fernández and Jorge Alcalde
, Peru defeated Uruguay in the final by 2–1. Peru became the fourth nation, after Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, to win the Copa América
.
In 1975, Peru won the first Copa América held without a fixed venue, defeating Chile and Bolivia in the group stages, Brazil at the Mineirão
by 3–1 with the goals of Enrique Casaretto and Teófilo Cubillas
in the semifinals. After being randomly chosen in a CONMEBOL-sponsored lottery, ordered after Brazil defeated Peru in Lima by 0–2, thus equalizing in the amount of points, between it and Brazil, Peru defeated Colombia in two of three games played for the final. The squad lost the first leg of the final played in Colombia, but won the second match in Lima
and a final match at Caracas
. Peru's goals were scored by Juan Carlos Oblitas
, Oswaldo Ramírez
, and Hugo Sotil
.
Peru's highest non-winning place in the tournament is third, which it achieved five times; two at home in1927 and 1935, one in Brazil in 1949, one in Chile in 1955, and in Argentina in 2011. When the tournaments were once again hosted by individual countries, Peru's best performance was a third place obtained in 2011 after defeating Venezuela 4–1. In 2011, Peru also obtained five LG Corp. Player of the Game awards, twice for Paolo Guerrero and Juan Manuel Vargas
, and once for William Chiroque
, the most awarded to a national team in the tournament.
that is usesd as the traditional home of the Peruvian team and the National Stadium of Peru. The stadium, a gift from England, opened on July 18, 1897, as the Estadio Guadalupe. The Peruvian Football League, which later became the Peruvian Football Federation, used it to host Peru's first official football tournaments. In 1921, as part of President Augusto B. Leguía
's embellecimiento (beautification) program, the stadium was renovated and renamed the Estadio Nacional de Peru. During the regime of General Manuel Odría, the stadium was reconstructed and officially re-inaugurated on October 27, 1952. Under the government of Alan García, the stadium was renovated and re-inaugurated on July 24, 2011.
In preparation for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship
, artificial turf
was installed to improve the stadium's aesthetic appeal; the surface was left in place after the tournament. In 2005, the stadium was one of Peru's four "Star II" stadia, the highest certification granted to artificial pitches
. Nonetheless, the surface was criticized by Peruvian First Division clubs, due to player injuries. In 2011, the artificial tuirf was removed during the stadium's renovation.. A modern exterior and interior multi-colored illumination system, which complies with FIFA's norms for high-definition
transmissions, two giant LED
screens, individual spectator seats and 375 private suites have also been fitted.
The national team occasionally uses other stadia as its home venue. The thin atmosphere at the high-altitude Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega
in Cusco
and the balmy Amazonic climate of the Estadio Max Augustín in Iquitos
provide strategic advantages. Other stadia in Lima, such as Alianza Lima
's Estadio Alejandro Villanueva
, are used to allow certain communities to access the team's matches more easily. During the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Universitario's
Estadio Monumental "U" was often selected for home matches due to controversy over the National Stadium's playing surface.
television network named Peru's 1978 FIFA World Cup
jersey as the best ever World Cup jersey, praising its simple design.
Peru's uniform has been manufactured by eight separate companies. In 1978, Adidas
became the first official manufacturer. During the 1980s, Peru had contracts with Brazilian company Penalty
(1981–1982), Adidas (1983–1985), two deals with Calvo Sportwear (1987) and Power (1989–1991). In the 1990s, Peru contracted with Diadora
(1991–1992), local manufacturer Polmer (1993–1995) and Umbro
(1996–1997). It also had a long-term contract with local company Walon Sport
(1998–2010). Among other designs, Walon produced the 1998 version with folkloric designs and the 2003 version that was similar to the Adidas kits. From July 2010, Umbro has produced the kits for Peru. The new uniform was presented on September 4, 2010, in the friendly against Canada.
and Ecuador
. Territorial, maritime, and cultural disputes have led to a large football rivalry between Chile and Peru since the ending of the War of the Pacific
. Both nations dispute the origin of the football move known as the bicycle kick
, which Chileans claim they invented in 1914 while Peruvians claim it was invented in Peru during the late 19th century. Matches between Chile and Peru, considered by CNN
(Cable News Network) to be among the top ten rivalries in the world, have been nicknamed Clásico del Pacífico (Derby of the Pacific). A trophy named the Copa del Pacífico (Cup of the Pacific) is awarded whenever Chile and Peru play against each other. Peru's rivalry with Ecuador, derived from historical border conflicts, is not as large as that with Chile, but is of competitive importance to both nations.
against Ecuador
on November 15, 2011.
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Notes
Brazilian Valdir Pereira
, Peruvian Marcos Calderón
, and Brazilian Elba de Pádua Lima led Peru in the World Cups of 1970, 1978, and 1982 respectively. Both Pereira and Calderón progressed past the first round of the competition, but to date, Pereira's quarterfinal finish is the farthest Peru has progressed in the World Cup. Calderón managed Peru in its 1975 Copa América victory. Other tournament winning coaches were Colombian Francisco Maturana
and Peruvian Freddy Ternero
, who both led the team to victories in the Kirin Cup
in 1999 and 2005 respectively.
Statistically, the most successful manager was Jack Greenwell, who won all eight games in which he took charge. Discounting managers who took charge in ten or fewer games, the least successful manager was Brazilian José Macia
, with two wins in 23 games. In 2010, Uruguayan Sergio Markarián
, was appointed to replace José del Solar
. to lead Peru in the 2011 Copa America
and the 2014 FIFA World Cup
CONMEBOL qualifiers.
These are the latest 10 managers of the national football team, for a complete list please visit the main article:
According to CONMEBOL
, Peruvian teams play with much technique and elegance, generally making them one of the finest exponents of South American football. Peru has a good performance record against Asian, African, Caribbean, and Central American teams.
The highest scoring victory achieved by the Peruvian squad is a 9–1 score against Ecuador in the inaugural Bolivarian Games
. The team's biggest defeat occurred in the 1997 Copa América
, when Brazil defeated Peru by 7–0. Peru was the first team to receive a FIFA Fair Play Trophy, awarded in the 1970 FIFA World Cup
, Peru being the only team that received no yellow or red cards in their games.
Roberto Palacios
has the most appearances with the national team, having played 122 times between 1992 and 2007. Héctor Chumpitaz
, with 105 appearances is second and Jorge Soto
, with 101 appearances is third. For goalkeepers, Oscar Ibañez
holds the most appearances with 50 caps
, followed by Miguel Miranda
(47 caps) and Ramón Quiroga
(40 caps). Teófilo Cubillas
is the team's top goalscorer with 26 goals in 81 appearances. Teodoro Fernández
is second, but holds a higher goal per appearance average with 24 goals in 32 appearances. In third place is Nolberto Solano
, who has 20 goals in 89 appearances. Claudio Pizarro
scored Peru's fastest goal during a match against Mexico
on August 20, 2003; Pizarro also scored the second fastest goal and Luis Ramírez the third.
Alejandro Villanueva
, Teodoro Fernández
, and Juan Valdivieso
were part of the Combinado del Pacífico that toured Europe from 1933 to 1934 and ended with 13 games won, 13 tied, and 13 lost; Fernández was top scorer with 48 goals. Hugo Sotil
, Héctor Chumpitaz
, and Teófilo Cubillas
were selected from the Peruvian football team to join the starting line-up of the South America XI that played against the Europe XI
in 1973 at the Nou Camp of FC Barcelona
. Sotil scored South America's second goal, and Chumpitaz's goal evened the score (4–4); South America beat Europe 7–6 in the penalty rounds.
Peru has played 525 official matches, including friendlies, since 1927. Notable matches were the surprising 4–1 victory over England and the disqualification from the 1936 Summer Olympics after defeating Austria 4–2.
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF). The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
's CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
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...
conference, which encompasses the countries of South America. The traditional colors of the team are white and red, the colors of the Peruvian flag
Flag of Peru
The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1825. It is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, it may be defaced with different emblems, and has different names...
, and the team is commonly known as la Blanquirroja (Spanish for "the white-and-red").
Founded in 1927, the team plays its home matches primarily at the Estadio Nacional
Estadio Nacional (Lima)
The Estadio Nacional of Peru is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lima, Peru. Its current capacity is 50,000 as stated by the Peruvian Football Federation. The stadium was inaugurated on 27 October 1952 for the 1953 South American Championship—replacing the Stadium Nacional—and is Peru's principal...
in Lima. The team's players' ethnicities reflect of the multicultural society of Peru. Peru has won the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
twice
Peru at the Copa América
This is a record of Peru's results at the Copa América. Ever since their first Copa América, Peru has had good showings. It is often remembered by fans that Peru was the 4th team that won the South American cup...
, and qualified for four FIFA World Cup
Peru at the FIFA World Cup
This is a record of Peru's results at the FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members...
tournaments. It has also qualified for two Olympic tournaments where it reached the quarter final stages. Peru's traditional footballing rival
Chile and Peru football rivalry
Peru and Chile have a rivalry that dates back from the War of the Pacific. Previously, the two nations had been on friendly terms sharing mutual alliances during the South American wars of independence and in the Chincha Islands War. Territorial, maritime, and cultural disputes have fueled tensions...
is 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...
, but the team also has a prominent rivalry with 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...
.
The Peruvian team's performance has been inconsistent, although it is considered to have enjoyed two successful periods in the 1930s and 1970s. Early in its history, Peru participated in 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...
tournaments and enjoyed victories in the 1938 Bolivarian Games
1938 Bolivarian Games
The I Bolivarian Games were a multi-sport event held in 1938 in Bogotá, Colombia, for the city's 400th anniversary. The Games were organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization .-Medal count:...
and the 1939 Copa América
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...
, when it was led by Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
, Juan Valdivieso
Juan Valdivieso
Juan Valdivieso Padilla was a Peruvian football goalkeeper and manager.During his career, he played club football for Alianza Lima...
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...
. Its 1950s side, which included Alberto Terry
Alberto Terry
Alberto "Toto" Terry Arias-Schreiber was a former Peruvian footballer who played for Universitario de Deportes and the Peruvian national team, is recognized as Peru's most important midfielders....
and Valeriano López
Valeriano López
Valeriano López Mendiola was a football forward from Peru, nicknamed Tanque de Casma...
, was considered to be among the top 20 strongest footballing nations of the decade
Strongest football nations by Elo Ratings
National football teams can be ranked by their average Elo scores over time periods, following similar approaches in for example chess. The averages over time are calculated from the scores on the .-Strongest teams since the mid to late 1960s:...
, despite not winning any major tournaments. Peruvian football's successful period in the 1970s brought Peru back to world recognition, with players such as Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Eduardo Chumpitaz González is a former footballer from Peru...
, 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...
, and Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
. This team qualified for three FIFA World Cups and won the Copa América in 1975
Copa América 1975
The 1975 edition of the Copa América football tournament was played between July 17 and October 28. For the first time in the history of the event there was no fixed venue, and all matches were played throughout the year in each country. In addition, the tournament changed its name from South...
.
Peru's 1982 World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
participation was its last to date: the national team has not since won a major tournament or participated in a World Cup tournament. The team was temporarily suspended from international participation by FIFA in late 2008 due to allegations of corruption involving government sport authorities and the FPF. Peru has currently appointed Uruguayan Sergio Markarián
Sergio Markarián
Sergio Apraham Markarián is a Uruguayan-Armenian football coach. Currently, he is the head coach of the national football team of Peru.-Early life:...
as its head coach and, after achieving third place at the 2011 Copa America
2011 Copa América
The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América Argentina 2011, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America...
, hopes to qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
.
Beginnings
Football fhg brought to Peru by English sailors in the late 19th century during their frequent visits to CallaoCallao
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...
, then an important Pacific Ocean port. During their free time, English sailors played football and invited the local Chalacos (people from Callao) to participate. It is thought that during these early games, the move known as the chalaca (short for "Chalacan Strike"), or bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
, originated. By the 1890s, British sporting clubs in 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...
such as Lima Cricket
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....
and Lawn Tennis were already playing football. Football became popular in Peru because it was played by British residents and by Peruvians returning from England.
The growing sports rivalry
Sports 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...
between foreign visitors and local Chalacos soon gained the attention of Peruvians beyond the port. Before the formation of the first clubs and leagues in the early 20th century, football was not an organized sport. In the 1900s, 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...
limited the quantity of foreign sailors and travelers visiting Callao, minimizing the port's influence as a center of 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,...
. By then, football clubs and leagues had been formed in other Peruvian cities, including 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...
, 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...
. Peru's most important amateur league, the capital province's "Peruvian Football League," housed the growing rivalry between Callao clubs and those from nearby Lima. The lack of a centralized organization led to constant conflicts between the teams, and one such conflict resulted in the creation of the Peruvian Football Federation (PFF) in 1922, and a Peruvian Football League
Primera División Peruana
The Peruvian Primera División is the top professional division of Peruvian football. It is known today as Torneo Descentralizado de Fútbol Profesional Peruano...
tournament, which was regulated by the PFF, in 1926.
The Peruvian Football Federation joined CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
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, but internal and economic problems prevented the creation of a national team. In 1922, an unofficial national team played against an Uruguayan team sponsored by the Uruguayan Football Association. Talented Peruvian football players gained international recognition for their skills, which inspired Peruvian clubs to tour throughout South America to places. Thanks to significant numbers of British residents in Peru, the acceptance of the game by the local elites, and the rapid development of the sport among the urban poor of La Victoria
La Victoria District, Lima
La Victoria is a district of the Lima Province in Peru and one of the districts that comprises the city of Lima. One of the most populous in Lima....
district in Lima, Peru formed the strongest footballing culture in the Andean region at this time.
In 1927, the Peruvian national football team was officially created. The team hosted the 1927 South American Championship, and Peru reached third place after losing to Uruguay by 4–0 in their debut match, defeating 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...
3–2, and losing to Argentina 1–5. However, because of internal corruption and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, the team that played in the 1929 edition
South American Championship 1929
The twelfth edition of the South American Championship was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 1 to November 17, 1929. The 1928 edition was postponed due to the participation of Chile, Uruguay and Argentina in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where Uruguay and...
was selected by social favoritism rather than player skill, and lost all its games. A year later, the Peruvian team, known colloquially as la Blanquirroja (The White and Red One), was invited to participate in the first 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...
in Uruguay.
First golden generation
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...
, 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...
, and Atletico Chalaco, united with the Chilean squad
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...
to form the Combinado del Pacifico, called by European media the "Peru-Chile XI" and "All-Pacific". This team toured England, Germany, France, and Spain until August 1935. Teodoro Fernandez
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
became the team's top goal scorer with 48 goals in 39 games.
Peru was the only South American football team to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The team began the tournament well, defeating Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
7–3. Players for Peru included Teodoro Fernández, 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...
, Juan Valdivieso
Juan Valdivieso
Juan Valdivieso Padilla was a Peruvian football goalkeeper and manager.During his career, he played club football for Alianza Lima...
, and Adelfo Magallanes
Adelfo Magallanes
Adelfo Magallanes Campos was a Peruvian footballer. He was part of the first golden era of the Peru national football team.Magallanes was born in Cañete on August 29, 1913. He developed his footballing skills as part of Alianza Lima, and became an important part of the famed Rodillo Negro era of...
. The IFFHS considers this Peruvian side to have been "...a technically excellent and strong attacking side" that had "...everything to be a finalist." The Peruvians eliminated the Austrian Wunderteam
Wunderteam
Wunderteam was the name given to the Austria national football team of the 1930s. Led by manager Hugo Meisl, the team had an unbeaten streak of 14 games between April 1931 and December 1932. The style of the team was based on the Scottish school of football that focused on quick passing introduced...
, favorites to win the tournament, defeating them 4–2 in extra time. After the game, the Austrian team alleged that the Peruvian players had manhandled them, and that Peruvian spectators, one brandishing a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
, had invaded the pitch during overtime. However, Peru - the away team - had few supporters, and the nationalities or identities of the spectators who entered the field during the regular time were never discovered. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, 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...
, presided by Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet
Jules Rimet was a French football administrator who was the 3rd President of FIFA, serving from 1921 to 1954. He was FIFA's longest serving president, having served for 33 years. He also served as the president of the French Football Federation from 1919 to 1946...
, nullified the result and ordered a re-match behind closed doors, and the Peruvian and Colombian delegations forfeited the games in protest. The story was told differently by European and South American media; the exact details of the incident remain unknown. Nowadays, the IFFHS is the only international football organization to condemn the actions taken against Peru in the tournament.
In 1938, Peru won its first international title at 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...
, defeating Bolivia, 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....
. In 1939, Peru won its 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...
(known later as the Copa América). The Peruvians defeated the Uruguayan team by 2–1 in the final, after eliminating Ecuador, Chile and Paraguay. Peru became the fourth nation to become South American champions, after Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil.
Good games, few titles
By 1941, Peru's squad was failing to win matches. In the same year, Peru and Argentina played a three-game series for the Copa Roque Saenz Peña in Lima, and Peru drew twice and lost the third match 3–0. The national squad's diminishing effectiveness was most apparent during the South American Championships of the 1940sCopa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
, where the team's most positive performances came from goalkeeper José Soriano. Peru would not win another international title until 1947, when the side won the 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...
. Peru gained third place at the 1949 South American Championship
South American Championship 1949
The South American Championship 1949 in football was held in Brazil and won by Brazil. Paraguay was the runner-up.Jair Rosa Pinto from Brazil was the top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals.-Final round:--------------------------------...
, held in Brazil, after defeating Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Uruguay.
By the 1950s, Peru had again become more successful in South American football, ranking among the top 20 strongest football nations of the decade
Strongest football nations by Elo Ratings
National football teams can be ranked by their average Elo scores over time periods, following similar approaches in for example chess. The averages over time are calculated from the scores on the .-Strongest teams since the mid to late 1960s:...
. In the Pan-American Championship of 1952 the Peruvians defeated Panama
Panama national football team
The Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
and Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, tied with Brazil and lost to Chile and Uruguay in close matches. Players such as Alberto Terry
Alberto Terry
Alberto "Toto" Terry Arias-Schreiber was a former Peruvian footballer who played for Universitario de Deportes and the Peruvian national team, is recognized as Peru's most important midfielders....
, Guillermo Barbadillo, Valeriano López
Valeriano López
Valeriano López Mendiola was a football forward from Peru, nicknamed Tanque de Casma...
, Félix Castillo
Félix Castillo
Felix Castillo Tardío was a former Peruvian football right-wing who played for Alianza Lima and the Peruvian national team between 1947 and 1956.-Playing career:...
, and Óscar Gómez Sánchez
Óscar Gómez Sánchez
Óscar Gómez Sánchez was a Peruvian football player.-Club career:Gómez Sánchez was a forward and played for Alianza Lima, where he won the Primera División Peruana three times...
contributed to Peru's competitive play throughout the 1950s. During 1953 and 1954, Peru won its only two titles of the decade, twice winning the Copa del Pacífico (Pacific Cup), a trophy disputed between Chile and Peru every time the two sides play. In the 1955 South American Championship
South American Championship 1955
The South American Championship 1955 was a football tournament held in Chile and won by Argentina with Chile as a second.Rodolfo Micheli from Argentina became top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals.-Final round:------------------------...
, Peru's national squad's campaign gained third place. However, he team fared poorly at the Pan-American Championship held in Mexico, and the South American Championship in Montevideo
South American Championship 1956
South American Championship 1956 was a football tournament held in Uruguay and won by Uruguay with Chile as a second.Enrique Hormazábal from Chile became top scorer of the tournament with 4 goals.-Final round:----------------------------...
. The team made a slight recovery as the decade closed, reaching fourth place at the 1957 and 1959 South American Championships, and defeating England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
4–1 in an exhibition match.
During the 1960s, Peru won the Bolivarian Games in Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
and qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 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...
in Rome. However, these would be Peru's only achievements that decade; the team did not gain a top four ranking in the 1963 South American Championship
South American Championship 1963
The South American Championship 1963 was held in Bolivia between 10 March and 31 March 1963. It was won by Bolivia with Paraguay second. This is so far, the only Copa America which was won by Bolivia....
, did not qualify for the Chile
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
and England
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
World Cups, and was unable to regain the Copa del Pacífico.
Second golden generation
Oswaldo Ramírez
Oswaldo Felipe Ramírez Salcedo is a retired Peruvian football striker. He is one of the highest scoring players in the history of the Copa Libertadores and he helped Peru to win the Copa América in 1975.-Club career:...
led to a draw with Argentina at a game popularly called La Bombonera in reference to the Alberto J. Armando stadium
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
, the game's venue. The squad, managed by "Didi" Pereira, followed a 4–2–4 formation
Formation (association football)
In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
that typically comprised José Fernández, Orlando de la Torre
Orlando de la Torre
Orlando de la Torre is a former Peruvian football defender, who played for the Peru national team between 1967 and 1973, gaining 39 caps. He was part of the Peru squad for the 1970 World Cup....
, Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Eduardo Chumpitaz González is a former footballer from Peru...
, and Nicolás Fuentes
Nicolás Fuentes
Nicolás Fuentes Fuentes is a retired Peruvian football player.-Playing career:Fuentes made 17 appearances for the Peru national football team from 1965 to 1971, including playing at the 1970 FIFA World Cup.- Honors:-References:...
as the defenders; Ramón 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...
and 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....
as midfielders; Julio Baylón
Julio Baylón
Julio Alberto Temístocles Baylon Aragonés was a Peruvian football player.He is the father of Jair Baylon and uncle of Sandro Baylon....
, Pedro Pablo León
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...
, Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
, and Alberto Gallardo
Alberto Gallardo
Alberto Gallardo was a Peruvian football player and manager.-Career:During his club career, Gallardo played for Sporting Cristal, A.C. Milan, Cagliari Calcio and Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras...
as forwards and Luis Rubiños
Luis Rubiños
Luis Rubiños is a former Peruvian football goalkeeper, who played for the Peru national team between 1963 and 1972, gaining 38 caps. He was part of the Peru squad for the 1970 World Cup....
as the goalkeeper.
During Peru's participation 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...
, the squad reached the quarterfinals, 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 and 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, and 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....
. Although Peru lost the quarterfinal game to Brazil by 4–2, Peru won the Copa del Pacífico, were invited to participate in the Brazil Independence Cup, and won the Copa Mariscal Sucre. The squad also won their second Copa America in 1975
Copa América 1975
The 1975 edition of the Copa América football tournament was played between July 17 and October 28. For the first time in the history of the event there was no fixed venue, and all matches were played throughout the year in each country. In addition, the tournament changed its name from South...
.
In 1978, Peru again qualified for the World Cup. The squad, led by Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón was a Peruvian football coach. He led the Peru national football team to win the Copa América 1975 and led the team to the second round of the 1978 World Cup...
, had a different (4–4–2) formation from the early 70s structure. Jaime Duarte, Héctor Chumpitaz, Rubén Díaz, and Germán Leguía
Germán Leguía
Germán Carlos Leguía Dragó A.K.A. "Cocoliche" is a retired professional football striker and midfielder from Peru...
were defenders; César Cueto, Percy Rojas
Percy Rojas
Percy Rojas Montero is a retired football midfielder from Peru. He competed for the Peru national football team at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cup. He won the Copa America with the Peru National football team in 1975....
, Teófilo Cubillas, and José Velásquez played at midfield; Juan José Muñante
Juan José Muñante
Juan José Muñante López is a former Peruvian footballer. He played in a right winger role.-Biography:Nicknamed The Jet in Peru and The Cobra in Mexico...
, Juan Carlos Oblitas
Juan Carlos Oblitas
Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba is a former Peruvian football player and currently a football manager, who is nicknamed El Ciego...
, Guillermo La Rosa
Guillermo La Rosa
Guillermo La Rosa Laguna is a retired football forward from Peru. He competed for the Peru national football team at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cup, wearing the number nineteen jersey...
, and 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...
were the attackers and Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga Arancibia was an Argentine-born Peruvian international football goalkeeper, who was nicknamed "El Loco" in Peru and "Chupete" in Argentina. He obtained 40 caps playing for the Peru national football team. He began his career playing for the Argentine club Rosario Central...
the goalkeeper.
Before the World Cup, the national squad defeated China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
and Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
. Peru reached the World Cup finals, coming top of their group after defeating Scotland (3–1), tying with the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
(0–0) and defeating Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
(4–1). However, in the second round, Peru came last in their group, losing to Brazil (0–3), Poland (0–1), and to Argentina (0–6) in a controversial match that prompted allegations of fixing by Argentina's military junta. After the tournament, the squad played some international friendly matches to prepare for the Copa America of 1979
Copa América 1979
The 1979 edition of the Copa América soccer tournament was played between July 10 and December 12. This time, the continental champion would not go to the FIFA World Cup. It was not held in a particular country, all matches were played on a home and away basis...
; it drew against Scotland at Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(1–1) and defeated Uruguay in 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...
(2–0), in which Peru were eliminated by Chile in the semifinals.
Peru successfully qualified for the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
, defeating Uruguay - the Mundialito
1980 Mundialito
-Group B:---------Final:-Scorers:3 goals Waldemar Victorino1 goal Ramón Díaz Diego Maradona Edevaldo Junior Serginho Sócrates Toninho Cerezo Zé Sérgio Klaus Allofs Horst Hrubesch Jan Peters Carlo Ancelotti Jorge Barrios Julio Morales Venancio Ramos...
winners - and Colombia. Under the direction of Tim, Peru won the Pacific Cup and led a European and African tour in which Peru defeated Hungary (2–1), France (1–0), tied Algeria
Algeria national football team
The Algeria national football team , nicknamed الأفنــاك, Les Fennecs , represents Algeria in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Algérienne de Football. Algeria's home ground is the Stade 5 Juillet 1962 in Algiers and their head coach is Vahid Halilhodžić.Algeria has qualified...
(1–1), and upon their return to Peru, defeated Romania (2–0). Tim's squad was composed of a 4–4–2 formation with Jaime Duarte, Rubén Toribio Díaz, Salvador Salguero
Salvador Salguero
Rafael Salvador Salguero is a retired Peruvian professional football defender. He competed for the Peru national football team at the 1982 FIFA World Cup. At club level he played for Alianza Lima in Peru....
, and Jorge Olaechea
Jorge Olaechea
Jorge Andrés Olaechea Quijandría is a former Peruvian football defender who played 60 times for the Peru national team between 1979 and 1989....
in defense; César Cueto, José Velásquez, 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....
, and Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
in midfield; Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo
Gerónimo Barbadillo González is a former Peruvian football player who played for UANL Tigres in Mexico, and for Avellino and Udinese in Italian Serie A. He also played with the Peruvian national team in the 1982 FIFA World Cup...
and Juan Carlos Oblitas
Juan Carlos Oblitas
Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba is a former Peruvian football player and currently a football manager, who is nicknamed El Ciego...
as forwards and Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga Arancibia was an Argentine-born Peruvian international football goalkeeper, who was nicknamed "El Loco" in Peru and "Chupete" in Argentina. He obtained 40 caps playing for the Peru national football team. He began his career playing for the Argentine club Rosario Central...
as goalkeeper. In the 1982 World Cup, hosted by Spain, Peru tied with Cameroon and Italy, and lost 5–1 against Poland. Peru's elimination marked the end of a period when the team's "...flowing football was admired across the globe."
From glory to decline
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
. Peru lost a play-off match against Chile. Also in 1986, Peru were invited to participate in its first Asian tournament, the Nehru Cup, held in India. In the 1987 Copa América, which inaugurated that tournament's alphabetical host rotation system, Peru did not progress past the first round, despite drawing against hosts Argentina (1–1) and Ecuador (1–1).
On December 8, 1987, an aircraft carrying 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...
's team and coaching staff crashed into the Pacific Ocean
1987 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...
. Several victims were national team members. Midfielder José Casanova
José Casanova
José Casanova was a Peruvian international footballer who played as a midfielder.Casanova died in the 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster.-External links:...
, goalkeeper José González Ganoza
José González Ganoza
José González Ganoza was a Peruvian international footballer who played as a goalkeeper.González died in the 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster.-External links:...
, forwards Luis Escobar
Luis Antonio Escobar (footballer)
Luis Antonio Escobar was a Peruvian international footballer who played as a striker.Escobar died in the 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster.-External links:...
and Alfredo Tomassini
Alfredo Tomassini
Alfredo Tomassini was a Peruvian football player. He was a forward for the club Alianza Lima, until 1987 when he died in an airplane crash known as the 1987 Alianza Lima air disaster. He survived the initial crash but due to a broken leg was not able to stay afloat...
and coach Marcos Calderón were killed. Nonetheless, in 1989 Peru attained second and third places in the Marlboro Cup (soccer) and the Copa Centenario de Armenia 1989 (in Armenia, Colombia
Armenia, Colombia
Armenia is the capital of Quindío, a department in Colombia. The city is located at coordinates 4.5170° north, 75.6830° west, 290 kilometers west of Bogotá. Armenia is a mid-size city located between Bogotá, Medellín and Cali, the 3 largest Colombian cities. The city's area code for phone calls is...
), respectively. Peru won two games (5–1 against Venezuela in 1991, and 1–0 against Chile in 1993) in the next four Copa América editions. Moreover, the squad did not win any games in the 1990 and 1994 World Cup qualifiers, ending up last in both of their groups.
Peru's situation improved as the team attained fourth place at the 1997 Copa América, third place at the 1997 U.S. Cup
1997 U.S. Cup
The 1997 U.S. Cup was a United States Soccer Federation organized tournament held in January 1997. USSF had hosted the annual U.S. Cup since 1992, except for the FIFA World Cup years of 1994 and 1998 when no tournament took place. The 1997 U.S. Cup included the host United States, Mexico, Peru and...
, and in 1998, in the newly implemented round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
, but did not qualify for the World Cup tournament due to their goal difference with Chile. In 1999, the team won their first Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
in Japan, and won it again in 2005. In 2000, the team competed 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...
tournament with 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 South Korea, and earned third place in the North American competition.Peru reached eight place in the 2002 and 2006 Gold Cup competitions, and the quarterfinals in the 1999, 2001, 2004, and 2007 Copa América competitions.
In 2007, Peru's under 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...
surprised the nation, qualifying and reaching the quarterfinals of the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007 was held in the Korea Republic between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four best third-place teams advancing to the Round of 16...
. Having been charged with corruption, Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) president Manuel Burga's re-election was made illegal by the Peruvian government and in November 2008, FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
suspended several FPF and Peruvian Football League officials and referees. The national team was barred from participating in international competitions after allegations were made of irregularities between the FPF, the Peruvian Institute of Sports (IPD), and the Peruvian government
Politics of Peru
Politics of the Republic of Peru takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Peru is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is...
. After IPD president Arturo Woodman
Arturo Woodman
Arturo Woodman Pollit is a Peruvian engineer and politician. He was National Unity's candidate for First Vice President at the 2006 Peruvian national election, running along Lourdes Flores....
agreed to discuss matters and reach an agreement with the FPF, FIFA President Sepp Blatter
Sepp Blatter
Joseph S. Blatter , commonly known as Sepp Blatter, is a Swiss football administrator, who serves as the 8th and current President of FIFA . He was elected on 8 June 1998, succeeding João Havelange. He was re-elected as President in 2002, 2007, and 2011...
lifted the bans and restrictions. The incident prevented Peru from hosting the 2009 South American Youth Championship
2009 South American Youth Championship
The 2009 South American Youth Championship was a football competition for national teams U-20 who are associated with the football federation CONMEBOL. It was the 24th time the tournament was held and took place in Venezuela from January 19 to February 8...
, which was held instead in Venezuela. With FIFA's approval, the FPF later reappointed Burga.
2010 onwards
During the 2010 qualification season, concerns over corruption and indiscipline affected the national team after Peruvian journalists Jaime BaylyJaime Bayly
Jaime Bayly Letts is a Peruvian writer, journalist and television personality. He is the third of 10 children and is known as "el niño terrible" .-Early life:...
and Magaly Medina
Magaly Medina
Magaly Jesús Medina Vela is a controversial and criticized Peruvian Hostess who claims to be journalist of the TV show "Magaly TeVe" that airs on ATV. She questions and judges the lifestyle of Peruvian celebrities, whose world she calls Chollywood, the union of the words: "cholo" and "Hollywood"...
revealed that a series of Peru's best-known football players, including Claudio Pizarro, Andrés Mendoza, Santiago Acasiete
Santiago Acasiete
Wilmer Santiago Acasiete Ariadela is a Peruvian footballer who plays for UD Almería in Spain, as a central defender.He also holds a Spanish passport, due to the many years he spent in the country.-Club career:...
, Paolo Guerrero, and 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...
, were seen at nightclubs and parties days before the team's qualifier matches. Some players were banned from playing for the national team while others were put under investigation. The national team languished at the bottom of the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.
Peru did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup, being eliminated early in the competition, and were the first CONMEBOL squad eliminated from the finals. The Peruvian sports press called the 2010 squad "Los Hijos de Burga" (the "Sons of Burga"), in reference to the FPF's president, who was criticized for Peru's poor performance in their qualifying campaign. The press called the squad the worst in the national team's 82-year history and called for Burga's resignation. After the qualifying phase of the competition, Juan Manuel Vargas
Juan Manuel Vargas
Juan Manuel Vargas Risco , is a Peruvian footballer who plays as a wing-back for Italian Serie A club A.C.F. Fiorentina, and the Peru national team and is currently the team's captain...
and 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...
, who retired from the team, expressed their hopes that the national squad's fortunes would improve. The team finished last in the qualifying tournament, winning 3 matches and gaining 13 points. In the August 2009 FIFA World Rankings
FIFA World Rankings
The FIFA World Rankings is a ranking system for men's national teams in association football, currently led by Spain. The teams of the member nations of FIFA , football's world governing body, are ranked based on their game results with the most successful teams being ranked highest...
, Peru reached spot 91, its lowest to 2010.
On July 2, 2010, Uruguayan Sergio Markarián
Sergio Markarián
Sergio Apraham Markarián is a Uruguayan-Armenian football coach. Currently, he is the head coach of the national football team of Peru.-Early life:...
took charge of the national team tasked with leading Peru in the 2011 Copa América
2011 Copa América
The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América Argentina 2011, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America...
and the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
. His work with the squad received positive comments from Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, and Peru won the Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
for a third time. Markarián's first challenge was another indiscipline scandal; Markarián temporarily banned Jefferson Farfán, Reimond Manco, and John Galliquio. Peru achieved third place at the 2011 Copa América, even though several of the team's key players were unavailable because of injuries.
FIFA World Cup record
Peru has played at four FIFA World CupFIFA 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...
finals, the first in 1930 and the last in 1982. Luis de Souza Ferreira
Luis De Souza Ferreira
Luis Alfonso de Souza Ferreira Huby, was a football forward player from Peru who played for Universitario de Deportes....
scored Peru's first World Cup goal in the 1930 match against Romania. Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
is the team's top World Cup scorer with 10 goals in two competitions. Four managers have led Peru in the competition: Spaniard Francisco Bru (1930), Brazilians Valdir Pereira
Valdir Pereira
Waldyr Pereira , nicknamed Didi , was a Brazilian footballer who played midfielder. He played in three World Cups: 1954, 1958, and 1962, winning the latter two. He is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders in the sport renowned for his range of passing, stamina and flawless technique...
(1970) and Elba de Pádua Lima (1982), and Peruvian Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón was a Peruvian football coach. He led the Peru national football team to win the Copa América 1975 and led the team to the second round of the 1978 World Cup...
(1978). Pereira's 1970 squad reached the quarter-finals; the team's furthest progression in the World Cup.
In 1930, Peru were eliminated in the group stage after losing to Romania
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...
(1–3) and Uruguay (0–1). During the match against Romania, Peru's Plácido Galindo
Plácido Galindo
Plácido Galindo was a Peruvian football midfielder who played for Peru in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Universitario de Deportes.-External links:*...
became the first player to be sent off
Ejection (sports)
In sports, an ejection is one of several disqualifying actions assessed to a player or coach by a game official , usually for unsportsmanlike conduct....
during a World Cup. In 1969, Peru lost 1–2 to Bolivia in the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
1970 FIFA World Cup qualification
A total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts and defending champions qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
, after which the referee, Sergio Chechelev, admitted Argentina paid him to fix the game
Match fixing
In organised sports, match fixing, game fixing, race fixing, or sports fixing occurs as a match is played to a completely or partially pre-determined result, violating the rules of the game and often the law. Where the sporting competition in question is a race then the incident is referred to as...
in Bolivia's favor. Peru qualified for 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...
, drawing 2–2 against 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...
, preventing Argentina's World Cup qualification for the first time. The 1970 team led by "Didi" Pereira beat Bulgaria 3–2 after trailing 0–2 at half-time, beat Morocco (3–0), lost to Germany (1–3) and were eliminated by Brazil (2–4) in the quarterfinals.
Peru qualified for the 1978 cup held in Argentina, and was placed in Group 4
1978 FIFA World Cup Group 4
Group 4 of the 1978 FIFA World Cup began on 3 June and ended on 11 June 1978. The group consisted of Iran, Netherlands, Peru, and Scotland.The Scotland team had qualified for the World Cup Finals for the second time in succession; once again the sole representatives from the United Kingdom...
, becoming group leader after defeating Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
(3–1) and Iran
Iran national football team
The national football team of Iran represents Iran in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran...
(4–1), and drawing with the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
(0–0). In the second round, rumors circulated that Peru had been paid by the Argentine military government
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
to play poorly and concede the goals Argentina needed to reach the final; it was further rumored that the Peruvian goalkeeper, Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga Arancibia was an Argentine-born Peruvian international football goalkeeper, who was nicknamed "El Loco" in Peru and "Chupete" in Argentina. He obtained 40 caps playing for the Peru national football team. He began his career playing for the Argentine club Rosario Central...
, who was born in Argentina. None of the allegations could be proven, and Argentina won the tournament. Before the Spain 1982 World Cup came, the Peruvian squad embarked upon a successful practice tour in Europe and Africa, but were eliminated after drawing against Cameroon (0–0) and Italy (1–1) and defeated by Poland (5–1).
| FIFA World Cup record 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... |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
 19301930 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... |
Group Stage | 10th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
Withdrew | |||||||
 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Did Not Enter | |||||||
 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
Withdrew | |||||||
 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
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 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
 19621962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
||||||||
 19661966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
||||||||
 19701970 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... |
Quarter-Final | 7th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 |
 19741974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
 19781978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
Second Group Stage | 8th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 12 |
 19821982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Group Stage | 20th | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
Did Not Qualify | |||||||
 19901990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
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 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
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| 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
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  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
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 20062006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
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 20102010 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... |
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 20142014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.... |
To Be Determined | |||||||
 20182018 FIFA World Cup The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was... |
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 20222022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve... |
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| Total | Quarter-Final | 4/19 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 31 |
- *Denotes draws including knockout matches decided on penalty kicksPenalty shootout (football)A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
.
Copa América record
After joining 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, Peru hosted the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
in 1927, 1935, 1939, 1953, 1957, 2004; and won it in 1939 and 1975. Demetrio Neyra
Demetrio Neyra
Demetrio Neyra was a Peruvian football forward who played for Peru in the 1930 FIFA World Cup. He also played for Alianza Lima.-External links:*...
scored the national team's first goal in the 1927 edition held in 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...
. Peru's team boasted three players who scored the largest quantity of goals in the tournament, Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
(7 goals, 1939), Eduardo Malásquez
Eduardo Malásquez
Eduardo Malásquez, also known as the "Flaco" , is a former Peruvian footballer. He belonged to the club Deportivo Municipal and played with the Peruvian national team. He currently is 53 years old and resides in Lima....
(3 goals, 1983) and Paolo Guerrero (5 goals, 2011). Teodoro Fernández in 1939 and 1941, Miguel Loayza
Miguel Loayza
Miguel Oswaldo Loayza Tardio is a Bolivian footballer who plays for San José as a midfielder.-External links:* at BoliviaGol.com...
in 1959 and Paolo Guerrero in 2011 scored hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
s in the competition. Two managers have led Peru to tournament victories, Englishman Jack Greenwell (1939) and Peruvian Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón was a Peruvian football coach. He led the Peru national football team to win the Copa América 1975 and led the team to the second round of the 1978 World Cup...
(1975).
In 1939 Peru achieved its first Copa América title, defeating Ecuador 5–2, Chile 3–1, and Paraguay 3–0 to reach the final. With players Teodoro Fernández and Jorge Alcalde
Jorge Alcalde
Jorge "Campolo" Alcalde Millos was a Peruvian professional footballer. He played as a striker, and was especially noted for his time spent with the Peru national team.-Biography:...
, Peru defeated Uruguay in the final by 2–1. Peru became the fourth nation, after Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, to win the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
.
In 1975, Peru won the first Copa América held without a fixed venue, defeating Chile and Bolivia in the group stages, Brazil at the Mineirão
Mineirão
Mineirão , officially Estádio Governador Magalhães Pinto established in 1965 in Belo Horizonte, is the largest football stadium in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and the second largest in the country, after Maracanã...
by 3–1 with the goals of Enrique Casaretto and Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
in the semifinals. After being randomly chosen in a CONMEBOL-sponsored lottery, ordered after Brazil defeated Peru in Lima by 0–2, thus equalizing in the amount of points, between it and Brazil, Peru defeated Colombia in two of three games played for the final. The squad lost the first leg of the final played in Colombia, but won the second match in 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 a final match at Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
. Peru's goals were scored by Juan Carlos Oblitas
Juan Carlos Oblitas
Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba is a former Peruvian football player and currently a football manager, who is nicknamed El Ciego...
, Oswaldo Ramírez
Oswaldo Ramírez
Oswaldo Felipe Ramírez Salcedo is a retired Peruvian football striker. He is one of the highest scoring players in the history of the Copa Libertadores and he helped Peru to win the Copa América in 1975.-Club career:...
, and 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...
.
Peru's highest non-winning place in the tournament is third, which it achieved five times; two at home in1927 and 1935, one in Brazil in 1949, one in Chile in 1955, and in Argentina in 2011. When the tournaments were once again hosted by individual countries, Peru's best performance was a third place obtained in 2011 after defeating Venezuela 4–1. In 2011, Peru also obtained five LG Corp. Player of the Game awards, twice for Paolo Guerrero and Juan Manuel Vargas
Juan Manuel Vargas
Juan Manuel Vargas Risco , is a Peruvian footballer who plays as a wing-back for Italian Serie A club A.C.F. Fiorentina, and the Peru national team and is currently the team's captain...
, and once for William Chiroque
William Chiroque
William Medardo Chiroque Távara is a Peruvian football striker, who currently plays for Chiclayo based Juan Aurich and was part of the Peruvian team that won the Bronze Medal in the 2011 Copa America.-Career:...
, the most awarded to a national team in the tournament.
| Copa America/South American Championship Copa América The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body... |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total: 2 Titles | |||||||
| Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position | ||
| 1916 South American Championship 1916 The 1916 South American Championship of Nations was the first continental championship for national teams in south America. It was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from July 2 to July 17 during Argentina's independence centenary commemorations... –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.... |
Absent | 1949 South American Championship 1949 The South American Championship 1949 in football was held in Brazil and won by Brazil. Paraguay was the runner-up.Jair Rosa Pinto from Brazil was the top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals.-Final round:--------------------------------... |
Third Place | 1987 Copa América 1987 The 1987 Copa América was 33rd edition of the Copa América, CONMEBOL's national team competition. It was the first Copa América under the new rotational hosting system. Argentina, as the first country alphabetically, hosted the tournament between June 27 to July 12, 1987... |
Round 1 | ||
 1927South 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... |
Third Place | 1953 South American Championship 1953 -Goal scorers:7 Goals Molina5 Goals Julinho4 Goals Berni Fernández Balseiro3 Goals Baltazar López C. Romero Peláez2 Goals Alcón Santos Ugarte Pinga Rodrigues Gómez Sánchez Morel Puente1 Goal Ademir Cláudio Ipojucan Nilton Santos Zizinho... |
Fifth Place | 1989 Copa América 1989 The Copa América 1989 football tournament was hosted by Brazil, from July 1 to July 16, 1989. All ten CONMEBOL member nations participated.Brazil won their fourth Copa América, and first since 1949, by beating Uruguay 1-0 in the final match at the Maracanã.... |
Round 1 | ||
| 1929 South American Championship 1929 The twelfth edition of the South American Championship was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 1 to November 17, 1929. The 1928 edition was postponed due to the participation of Chile, Uruguay and Argentina in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where Uruguay and... |
Fourth Place | 1955 South American Championship 1955 The South American Championship 1955 was a football tournament held in Chile and won by Argentina with Chile as a second.Rodolfo Micheli from Argentina became top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals.-Final round:------------------------... |
Third Place | 1991 Copa América 1991 The 1991 Copa América football tournament was hosted by Chile, from July 8 to July 21, 1991. It was organized by CONMEBOL and all ten member nations participated.This was the last time that the tournament consisted of only CONMEBOL member nations... |
Round 1 | ||
| 1935 South American Championship 1935 The thirteenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Lima, Peru from January 6 to January 27, 1935.After the 1930 FIFA World Cup, in which Uruguay defeated Argentina by four goals to two in the final match, the Argentine team broke football relations with their Uruguayan... |
Third Place | 1956 South American Championship 1956 South American Championship 1956 was a football tournament held in Uruguay and won by Uruguay with Chile as a second.Enrique Hormazábal from Chile became top scorer of the tournament with 4 goals.-Final round:----------------------------... |
Sixth Place |  1993Copa América 1993 The 1993 Copa América was the 36th Copa América, CONMEBOL's football tournament for national teams. It was held in Ecuador between June 15 and July 4. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, but for the first time two nations from outside CONMEBOL were invited to take part in the tournament. Mexico and... |
Quarterfinals | ||
| 1937 South American Championship 1937 The fourteenth edition of the South American Championship of football was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from December 27, 1936 to February 1, 1937.... |
Sixth place | 1957 South American Championship 1957 The South American Championship 1957 was a football tournament held in Peru and won by Argentina with Brazil as a second.Humberto Maschio from Argentina and Javier Ambrois from Uruguay became top scorers of the tournament with 9 goals each.-Final round:... |
Fourth Place | 1995 Copa América 1995 The 1995 Copa América football tournament was staged in Uruguay. It was won by Uruguay, who beat Brazil 5-3 in the penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the final. All 10 CONMEBOL members took part, with Mexico and the USA invited in order to reach 12 teams.... |
Round 1 | ||
| 1939 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... |
Winners | 1959 South American Championship 1959 (Argentina) The South American Championship 1959 was a football tournament held in Argentina, and won by Argentina with Brazil in second.Pelé from Brazil became top scorer of the tournament with 8 goals.-Stadium:All games played in Buenos Aires, at Estadio Monumental.... |
Fourth Place |  1997Copa América 1997 Bolivia hosted the Copa América for the second time in its 38th edition. It was held from June 11 to June 29, 1997. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament... |
Fourth Place | ||
| 1941 South American Championship 1941 The sixteenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Santiago, Chile from February 2, 1941 to March 4, 1941.With the purpose of celebrating the fourth centenary of Santiago's foundation by Pedro de Valdivia, Chile requested to host this tournament's edition... |
Fourth Place | 1963 South American Championship 1963 The South American Championship 1963 was held in Bolivia between 10 March and 31 March 1963. It was won by Bolivia with Paraguay second. This is so far, the only Copa America which was won by Bolivia.... |
Fifth place |  1999Copa América 1999 The 1999 Copa América was a football tournament held in Paraguay, from June 29 to July 18, 1999. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament... |
Quarterfinals | ||
| 1942 South American Championship 1942 The seventeenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Montevideo, Uruguay from January 10, 1942 to February 7, 1942.For the first time seven teams took part of the event; the participating countries were Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.Bolivia, and... |
Fifth place | 1967 South American Championship 1967 The South American Football Championship 1967 was held in Uruguay and won by Uruguay with Argentina as a second.Luis Artime from Argentina and Mora from Paraguay were the top scorers of the tournament with 5 goals each... |
Withdrew |  2001Copa América 2001 The Copa América 2001 was held in Colombia, from July 11 to July 29, 2001. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.... |
Quarterfinals | ||
| 1945 South American Championship 1945 The eighteenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Santiago, Chile from January 14, 1945 to February 28, 1945. This tournament an extra edition, with no trophy handed to the winners, but considered official by CONMEBOL.... |
Withdrew | 1975 Copa América 1975 The 1975 edition of the Copa América football tournament was played between July 17 and October 28. For the first time in the history of the event there was no fixed venue, and all matches were played throughout the year in each country. In addition, the tournament changed its name from South... |
Winners | 2004 Copa América 2004 The Copa América 2004 was the 41st edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body, and was held in Peru, who hosted the tournament for the sixth time,... |
Quarterfinals | ||
| 1946 South American Championship 1946 The nineteenth edition of the South American Championship was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from January 12, 1946 to February 10, 1946. This tournament, an extra edition with no trophy handed to the winners, is considered official by CONMEBOL.... |
Withdrew | 1979 Copa América 1979 The 1979 edition of the Copa América soccer tournament was played between July 10 and December 12. This time, the continental champion would not go to the FIFA World Cup. It was not held in a particular country, all matches were played on a home and away basis... |
Semifinals |  2007Copa América 2007 The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams... |
Quarterfinals | ||
| 1947 South American Championship 1947 The 1947 South American Championship was the 20th South American Championship for national teams, and was organized by CONMEBOL. It marked the first time Ecuador hosted the tournament, which hosted all the matches in Estadio George Capwell in Guayaquil. Argentina won the tournament to obtain their... |
Fifth Place | 1983 Copa América 1983 The 1983 Copa América football tournament was played between August 10 and November 4, with all ten CONMEBOL members participating. Defending champions Paraguay got a bye into the semifinals.-First round:... |
Semifinals | 2011 2011 Copa América The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América Argentina 2011, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America... |
Third Place | ||
Stadium
The Estadio Nacional (National Stadium), also known as the Coloso de José Díaz, is a 45,000-spectator stadium located in 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...
that is usesd as the traditional home of the Peruvian team and the National Stadium of Peru. The stadium, a gift from England, opened on July 18, 1897, as the Estadio Guadalupe. The Peruvian Football League, which later became the Peruvian Football Federation, used it to host Peru's first official football tournaments. In 1921, as part of President Augusto B. Leguía
Augusto B. Leguía
Augusto Bernardino Leguía y Salcedo was a Peruvian politician who twice occupied the Presidency of Peru, from 1908 to 1912 and from 1919 to 1930.-Early life:...
's embellecimiento (beautification) program, the stadium was renovated and renamed the Estadio Nacional de Peru. During the regime of General Manuel Odría, the stadium was reconstructed and officially re-inaugurated on October 27, 1952. Under the government of Alan García, the stadium was renovated and re-inaugurated on July 24, 2011.
In preparation for the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship
2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship was held in the cities of Lima, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Piura and Iquitos in Peru between 16 September and 2 October 2005. Players born after 1 January 1988 could participate in this tournament...
, artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
was installed to improve the stadium's aesthetic appeal; the surface was left in place after the tournament. In 2005, the stadium was one of Peru's four "Star II" stadia, the highest certification granted to artificial pitches
Association football pitch
An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...
. Nonetheless, the surface was criticized by Peruvian First Division clubs, due to player injuries. In 2011, the artificial tuirf was removed during the stadium's renovation.. A modern exterior and interior multi-colored illumination system, which complies with FIFA's norms for high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
transmissions, two giant LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
screens, individual spectator seats and 375 private suites have also been fitted.
The national team occasionally uses other stadia as its home venue. The thin atmosphere at the high-altitude Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega
Estadio Garcilaso de la Vega
Estadio Garcilaso is Cusco's principal stadium and the home venue of the local team Cienciano. The stadium was named after the Peruvian mestizo Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and inaugurated in 1960, with an initial capacity of 30,000...
in 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 the balmy Amazonic climate of the Estadio Max Augustín in Iquitos
Iquitos
Iquitos is the largest city in the Peruvian rainforest, with a population of 370,962. It is the capital of Loreto Region and Maynas Province.Located on the Amazon River, it is only above sea level, although it is more than from the mouth of the Amazon at Belém on the Atlantic Ocean...
provide strategic advantages. Other stadia in Lima, such as 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...
's Estadio Alejandro Villanueva
Estadio Alejandro Villanueva
Estadio Alejandro Villanueva is a stadium located in the neighborhood of Matute in La Victoria District in Lima, Peru. The stadium is the home field of the football club Alianza Lima. The stadium has a capacity of 40,000 people.-History:...
, are used to allow certain communities to access the team's matches more easily. During the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Universitario's
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...
Estadio Monumental "U" was often selected for home matches due to controversy over the National Stadium's playing surface.
Uniform
Peru's national colors are red and white. The team's first uniform was made for the 1927 South American Championship; it consisted of white shorts and a shirt with vertical stripes. For the 1930 FIFA World Cup, an all-white kit with a red collar was chosen. A third uniform was made for the 1935 South American Championship; a horizontal red stripe was added. Peru's current uniform was designed for the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics; a red stripe crosses the chest diagonally from the left shoulder to the hip's right. In 2010, the ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
television network named Peru's 1978 FIFA World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
jersey as the best ever World Cup jersey, praising its simple design.
Peru's uniform has been manufactured by eight separate companies. In 1978, Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
became the first official manufacturer. During the 1980s, Peru had contracts with Brazilian company Penalty
Penalty (Brazilian sports manufacturer)
Cambuci is a sporting goods company established in 1970 in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, the company operates as Penalty.Active in many sports, the Penalty manufactures from shoes, apparel, balls and sports accessories for team sports such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, handball, futsal,...
(1981–1982), Adidas (1983–1985), two deals with Calvo Sportwear (1987) and Power (1989–1991). In the 1990s, Peru contracted with Diadora
Diadora
Diadora is an Italian football, tennis, running, cycling, rugby, athletic shoe, clothing, and fashion accessory manufacturer with locations in Italy, the United States, and Hong Kong.-History:...
(1991–1992), local manufacturer Polmer (1993–1995) and Umbro
Umbro
Umbro is an English sportswear and football equipment supplier based in Cheadle, Greater Manchester, England. The company is now part of Nike. Umbro designs, sources, and markets sport-related apparel, footwear, and equipment...
(1996–1997). It also had a long-term contract with local company Walon Sport
Walon Sport
Walon Sport, or simply Walon, is a multinational textile business founded in 1989 in Peru. It is one of the principal sportswear manufacturers in Peru, and it provides the kits for various association football clubs in the Primera Division Peruana...
(1998–2010). Among other designs, Walon produced the 1998 version with folkloric designs and the 2003 version that was similar to the Adidas kits. From July 2010, Umbro has produced the kits for Peru. The new uniform was presented on September 4, 2010, in the friendly against Canada.
Rivalries
The Peruvian team has regional rivalries with ChileChile 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...
and 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...
. Territorial, maritime, and cultural disputes have led to a large football rivalry between Chile and Peru since the ending of 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...
. Both nations dispute the origin of the football move known as the bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
, which Chileans claim they invented in 1914 while Peruvians claim it was invented in Peru during the late 19th century. Matches between Chile and Peru, considered by CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
(Cable News Network) to be among the top ten rivalries in the world, have been nicknamed Clásico del Pacífico (Derby of the Pacific). A trophy named the Copa del Pacífico (Cup of the Pacific) is awarded whenever Chile and Peru play against each other. Peru's rivalry with Ecuador, derived from historical border conflicts, is not as large as that with Chile, but is of competitive importance to both nations.
Current squad
The following players were selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)2014 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American Zone of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification sees nine teams competing for places in the finals which are to be held in Brazil.-Format:The format for CONMEBOL's 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament is identical to the previous four editions...
against 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...
on November 15, 2011.
- Caps and goals as of November 15, 2011.
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Recent call-ups
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Notes
- INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
- WD Player withdrew from the squad due to personal reason.
Managers
Since the creation of the national team in 1927, several coaches have been in charge of managing Peru. The first coach, Uruguayan Pedro Olivieri, was appointed for the 1927 South American Championship held in Peru. During the 1930 World Cup, Spaniard Francisco Bru appointed manager. Peru's squad was coached by English Jack Greenwell when it won its first two international titles, the 1938 Bolivarian Games and the 1939 South American Championship.Brazilian Valdir Pereira
Valdir Pereira
Waldyr Pereira , nicknamed Didi , was a Brazilian footballer who played midfielder. He played in three World Cups: 1954, 1958, and 1962, winning the latter two. He is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders in the sport renowned for his range of passing, stamina and flawless technique...
, Peruvian Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón
Marcos Calderón was a Peruvian football coach. He led the Peru national football team to win the Copa América 1975 and led the team to the second round of the 1978 World Cup...
, and Brazilian Elba de Pádua Lima led Peru in the World Cups of 1970, 1978, and 1982 respectively. Both Pereira and Calderón progressed past the first round of the competition, but to date, Pereira's quarterfinal finish is the farthest Peru has progressed in the World Cup. Calderón managed Peru in its 1975 Copa América victory. Other tournament winning coaches were Colombian Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana
Francisco Maturana, also known as Pacho is a Colombian ex-football player and later a successful football manager.-Player:...
and Peruvian Freddy Ternero
Freddy Ternero
Freddy Ternero is a former Peruvian football player and football manager. Ternero has been and currently is the Mayor of the District Municipality of San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru for the periods of 2007 - 2010 and 2011 - 2014.During his playing career Ternero played for several clubs in...
, who both led the team to victories in the Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
in 1999 and 2005 respectively.
Statistically, the most successful manager was Jack Greenwell, who won all eight games in which he took charge. Discounting managers who took charge in ten or fewer games, the least successful manager was Brazilian José Macia
José Macia
Pepe, real name José Macia, is a former association footballer and manager. He was left winger for Santos F.C. and the Brazilian national team...
, with two wins in 23 games. In 2010, Uruguayan Sergio Markarián
Sergio Markarián
Sergio Apraham Markarián is a Uruguayan-Armenian football coach. Currently, he is the head coach of the national football team of Peru.-Early life:...
, was appointed to replace 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....
. to lead Peru in the 2011 Copa America
2011 Copa América
The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América Argentina 2011, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America...
and the 2014 FIFA World Cup
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
CONMEBOL qualifiers.
These are the latest 10 managers of the national football team, for a complete list please visit the main article:
| Name | Peru career | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freddy Ternero Freddy Ternero Freddy Ternero is a former Peruvian football player and football manager. Ternero has been and currently is the Mayor of the District Municipality of San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru for the periods of 2007 - 2010 and 2011 - 2014.During his playing career Ternero played for several clubs in... |
1997 Copa America | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 50.00 | 1997 Copa America – Fourth Place |
| Juan Carlos Oblitas Juan Carlos Oblitas Juan Carlos Oblitas Saba is a former Peruvian football player and currently a football manager, who is nicknamed El Ciego... |
1996–1999 | 38 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 42.10 | 1997 U.S. Cup 1997 U.S. Cup The 1997 U.S. Cup was a United States Soccer Federation organized tournament held in January 1997. USSF had hosted the annual U.S. Cup since 1992, except for the FIFA World Cup years of 1994 and 1998 when no tournament took place. The 1997 U.S. Cup included the host United States, Mexico, Peru and... – Third Place |
| Francisco Maturana Francisco Maturana Francisco Maturana, also known as Pacho is a Colombian ex-football player and later a successful football manager.-Player:... |
1999–2000 | 14 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 28.57 | 2000 Gold Cup – Third Place |
| 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.... |
2000–2002 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 20.00 | 0 |
| Paulo Autuori | 2003–2005 | 31 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 29.03 | 0 |
| Freddy Ternero Freddy Ternero Freddy Ternero is a former Peruvian football player and football manager. Ternero has been and currently is the Mayor of the District Municipality of San Martin de Porres in Lima, Peru for the periods of 2007 - 2010 and 2011 - 2014.During his playing career Ternero played for several clubs in... |
2005–2006 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 37.50 | 2005 Kirin Cup – Champions |
| Franco Navarro Franco Navarro Franco Enrique Navarro Monteiro is a former football striker and manager from Peru.-Career:Navarro played for Deportivo Municipal, Sporting Cristal, Alianza Lima, Independiente from Argentina and Grasshoppers from Switzerland among others... |
2006 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.00 | 0 |
| 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.... |
2007 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 28.57 | 0 |
| 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.... |
2007–2009 | 28 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 21.43 | 0 |
| Sergio Markarián Sergio Markarián Sergio Apraham Markarián is a Uruguayan-Armenian football coach. Currently, he is the head coach of the national football team of Peru.-Early life:... |
2010–present | 22 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 50.00 | 2011 Kirin Cup – Champions 2011 Copa America 2011 Copa América The 2011 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, better known as the 2011 Copa América or the Copa América Argentina 2011, was the 43rd edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America... – Third Place |
| Total Games Played: 176 | 56 | 46 | 74 | 31.03 | |||
- Freddy Ternero was the manager during the 1997 Copa America; Juan Carlos Oblitas was the head coach.
Records and Fixtures
CONMEBOL
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...
, Peruvian teams play with much technique and elegance, generally making them one of the finest exponents of South American football. Peru has a good performance record against Asian, African, Caribbean, and Central American teams.
The highest scoring victory achieved by the Peruvian squad is a 9–1 score against Ecuador in the inaugural 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...
. The team's biggest defeat occurred in the 1997 Copa América
Copa América 1997
Bolivia hosted the Copa América for the second time in its 38th edition. It was held from June 11 to June 29, 1997. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body.There is no qualifying for the final tournament...
, when Brazil defeated Peru by 7–0. Peru was the first team to receive a FIFA Fair Play Trophy, awarded 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...
, Peru being the only team that received no yellow or red cards in their games.
Roberto Palacios
Roberto Palacios
Roberto Carlos Palacios Mestas is a Peruvian football midfielder from the district of Chorrillos in Lima, the capital of Peru.-Biography:...
has the most appearances with the national team, having played 122 times between 1992 and 2007. Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Eduardo Chumpitaz González is a former footballer from Peru...
, with 105 appearances is second and Jorge Soto
Jorge Soto
Jorge Antonio Soto is a retired Peruvian footballer.-Career:Soto is one of the all-time emblematic figures of Sporting Cristal...
, with 101 appearances is third. For goalkeepers, Oscar Ibañez
Óscar Ibáñez
Óscar Manuel Ibáñez Holzmann is a Peruvian football goalkeeper, who made his debut for the national team on April 18, 1998. Since then he obtained 50 caps, with the last match being on March 30, 2005. He has been one of the four to have played at least 500 games in the Peruvian First Division...
holds the most appearances with 50 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, followed by Miguel Miranda
Miguel Miranda
Miguel Eduardo Miranda Campos is a retired football goalkeeper from Peru, who obtained 47 international caps for his national team...
(47 caps) and Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga
Ramón Quiroga Arancibia was an Argentine-born Peruvian international football goalkeeper, who was nicknamed "El Loco" in Peru and "Chupete" in Argentina. He obtained 40 caps playing for the Peru national football team. He began his career playing for the Argentine club Rosario Central...
(40 caps). Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
is the team's top goalscorer with 26 goals in 81 appearances. Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
is second, but holds a higher goal per appearance average with 24 goals in 32 appearances. In third place is 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...
, who has 20 goals in 89 appearances. Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Pizarro
Claudio Miguel Pizarro Bosio is a Peruvian football forward. Pizarro plays for Werder Bremen of the German Bundesliga...
scored Peru's fastest goal during a match against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
on August 20, 2003; Pizarro also scored the second fastest goal and Luis Ramírez the third.
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...
, Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro Fernández Meyzán , nicknamed "Lolo", was a Peruvian football striker...
, and Juan Valdivieso
Juan Valdivieso
Juan Valdivieso Padilla was a Peruvian football goalkeeper and manager.During his career, he played club football for Alianza Lima...
were part of the Combinado del Pacífico that toured Europe from 1933 to 1934 and ended with 13 games won, 13 tied, and 13 lost; Fernández was top scorer with 48 goals. 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...
, Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Chumpitaz
Héctor Eduardo Chumpitaz González is a former footballer from Peru...
, and Teófilo Cubillas
Teófilo 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...
were selected from the Peruvian football team to join the starting line-up of the South America XI that played against the Europe XI
Europe XI
The Europe XI is a football team mainly consisting of players from the UEFA region, but sometimes players from other continents playing for European teams are invited to play. The European XI play one-off games against clubs, national teams, collectives of other confederations or a World XI made...
in 1973 at the Nou Camp of FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
. Sotil scored South America's second goal, and Chumpitaz's goal evened the score (4–4); South America beat Europe 7–6 in the penalty rounds.
Peru has played 525 official matches, including friendlies, since 1927. Notable matches were the surprising 4–1 victory over England and the disqualification from the 1936 Summer Olympics after defeating Austria 4–2.
External links
- Peru FA
- FIFA team profile
- All about Peru in FIFA World Cup (Spanish)
- All about Peru in Olimpic Games (Spanish)
- All about Peru in the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2000 (Spanish)
- All about the FIFA U-17 World Cup Peru 2005 (Spanish)