Top Goal Scorers For Peru Football Team All-Time: Peru really loves soccer, and its fans are famous worldwide. Even though people often underestimate their team, it’s historically strong in South America.
They’ve had two generations of great players who made their country proud in continental competitions. But they haven’t been able to do the same in the World Cup until recently.
Lately, under coach Ricardo Gareca and with some top-notch players, Peru has improved a lot. They’ve become a tough team to beat, and their recent performances in the Copa America prove it.
This generation of players wants to bring back the greatness Peru had in the past when they won the Copa America twice, in 1939 and 1975.
In the last three Copa America tournaments (excluding the Copa America Centenario), Peru has done really well, finishing in the top three. Their best result was being the runner-up in 2019, and they also won bronze medals in 2011 and 2015.
Top Goal Scorers For Peru Football Team All-Time
Now, let’s take a look at the top goal scorers in the history of the Peru national soccer team.
1. Paolo Guerrero
- Career Span: 2004–
- Matches: 111
- Goals: 38
- Average: 0.35
Paolo Guerrero is Peru’s all-time leading goal scorer. He started playing for the national team in 2004 during the World Cup qualifiers. His first goal was against Chile in 2004.
In 2009, Guerrero faced some issues, including a ban from FIFA due to bad behavior during matches. He also suffered a knee injury, which took him out of the game for a while. Despite these challenges, Guerrero performed exceptionally well in Copa America tournaments. In 2011, he helped Peru secure third place by scoring five goals. He repeated this success in 2015, contributing to Peru’s victory over Paraguay and finishing as the tournament’s top scorer.
In the Copa America Centenario 2016, Guerrero scored his 27th international goal, making him Peru’s record goal scorer. He also played in the 2018 World Cup, where Peru made it to the group stage, and in the 2019 Copa America final against Brazil, although Peru lost 3-1. Guerrero scored crucial goals in these tournaments.
On October 11, 2019, Guerrero marked his 100th international match during a game against Uruguay. His skills and dedication have made him a key player for Peru’s national team.
2. Jefferson Farfán
- Career Span: 2003–2021
- Matches: 102
- Goals: 27
- Average: 0.26
Jefferson Farfán is the second-highest goal scorer for Peru’s national soccer team. He played for Peru in the 2003 U-20 South American Championships. Farfán made his senior international debut against Haiti in 2003.
In 2007, he and a few other players were suspended from the national team for breaking team rules. They were later pardoned in 2008 and Farfán returned to play for Peru in 2010.
In 2011, Farfán was supposed to play in the Copa América but got injured during training and couldn’t participate. He faced a series of injuries and wasn’t regularly called up to the national team until 2015 when he played in the Copa América, where Peru finished third.
Farfán scored a crucial goal in the International Play-off against New Zealand, helping Peru qualify for the World Cup for the fifth time. He played in the World Cup matches in 2018, but Peru was eliminated in the group stage despite winning one match against Australia. Farfán missed a game due to a concussion he got during training.
3. Teófilo Cubillas
- Career Span: 1968–1982
- Matches: 81
- Goals: 26
- Average: 0.32
Teófilo Cubillas is the third-highest goal scorer for Peru’s national soccer team. He played a significant role in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Peru made it to the quarterfinals but lost to Brazil 4-2. Cubillas scored in every game during this tournament, totaling five goals. In 2006, he was voted the best young player of the tournament through internet voting.
In the 1975 Copa América, Cubillas led Peru to its only international title. He scored two goals in the semifinal against Brazil, helping Peru win 3-1. He was also named the best player of the tournament. In the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, Cubillas, as the team’s top scorer, led Peru to the second final round. They defeated Scotland 3-1 and drew 0-0 against the Netherlands. Cubillas scored three goals in the decisive match against Iran, helping Peru win 4-1. However, they couldn’t advance further, losing to Brazil, Poland, and Argentina.
During the 1982 World Cup in Spain, Cubillas was past his peak. Peru drew against Cameroon and Italy, but a 1-5 defeat against Poland led to their early exit.
Cubillas finished his career in the North American Soccer League in the mid-1980s. He remains a legendary figure in Peruvian soccer, and his achievements have not been matched by the national team since his active playing days. Notably, he is one of the few players, alongside Miroslav Klose and Thomas Müller, to score at least five goals in two World Cups.
4. Teodoro Fernández
- Career Span: 1935–1947
- Matches: 32
- Goals: 24
- Average: 0.75
Teodoro Fernández is the fourth-highest goal scorer in the history of Peru’s national soccer team. He played for Peru from 1935 to 1947 and scored 24 goals in 32 matches, making him a significant contributor to the team’s success.
In 1936, Fernández represented Peru at the Olympic Games in Berlin. Peru reached the quarterfinals by defeating Finland (7-2) and Austria (4-2), with Lolo scoring a total of 6 goals in these two games.
In the 1938 Bolivarian Games in Bogotá, Team Peru won gold, showcasing their excellence in South American soccer. In 1939, Fernández played a crucial role in Peru’s victory in the Copa America. The final was against Uruguay, a team considered one of the best globally at that time. Despite this tough competition, Peru emerged victorious with a 2-1 score, and Lolo was the tournament’s top scorer with 7 goals. His remarkable skills and goal-scoring ability made him a legend in Peruvian soccer history.
5. Claudio Pizarro
- Career Span: 1999–2016
- Matches: 85
- Goals: 20
- Average: 0.24
Claudio Pizarro is the fifth-highest goal scorer for Peru’s national soccer team. He served as the captain during the team’s attempt to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. However, Peru missed the qualification, and Pizarro scored one goal in the qualifying matches.
Pizarro also participated in the 2004 Copa América, but Peru was eliminated by Argentina in the quarter-finals. During this tournament, he suffered a serious injury, which kept him out of the game for several months.
In 2006, Pizarro faced issues with the national coach when he chose to play for his club, FC Bayern Munich, instead of representing Peru in a match against Chile. This led to conflicts, and he even threatened to resign from the national team. Eventually, he returned to the team in 2011 for an international test match against Ecuador. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and couldn’t play in the 2011 Copa América.
Pizarro made a comeback in the 2015 Copa América, scoring a winning goal against Venezuela. He also played in matches against Colombia and Bolivia, but Peru lost to Chile in the semi-finals. He wasn’t included in the squad for the 2018 World Cup. Pizarro represented Peru in 85 international matches and scored 20 goals during his career.
6. Nolberto Solano
- Career Span: 1994–2008
- Matches: 95
- Goals: 20
- Average: 0.21
Nolberto Solano is the sixth-highest goal scorer for Peru’s national soccer team, tied with Claudio Pizarro. He played in his first senior international match on May 3, 1994, against Colombia (resulting in a 0-1 loss). Solano was a consistent player for Peru, although he often participated in competitive games due to the strain of travel after moving to Europe.
Although he didn’t get to play in a World Cup final, Solano participated in the Copa América tournaments in 1995, 1999, and 2004. He took a break from the national team between September 2001 and August 2003 to focus on club football. There were disagreements with coach Freddy Ternero, leading to his resignation in June 2005. However, he returned in the following year under Franco Navarro.
Despite his comeback, Solano was not selected for the 2007 Copa América. Later, when it became clear that Peru wouldn’t qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Solano announced his retirement from international soccer. His last match for Peru was on October 14, 2009, against Bolivia, resulting in a 1-0 win for Peru.
