Elías Figueroa

Quite simply the greatest South American defender of all time. His failure to move to Europe, unlike Daniel Passarella, inevitably limited his fame beyond the continent, where he is regarded with almost sacred reverence as a world-class defender with nothing to envy from legends such as Beckenbauer, who admired him, or England’s Moore. Figueroa is the prototype of the modern defender: powerful, fast, unbeatable in the air, and never overly aggressive in his demeanor. He was essential, composed, always making the right decision at the right moment, and he led not by shouting or gesturing wildly but by maintaining calm even in the most intense situations. After an outstanding spell with the great Peñarol side of the late 1960s, he fully established himself in Brazilian football, winning six league titles with Internacional and, above all, collecting an extraordinary number of individual awards: South American Player of the Year three times, Bola de Ouro twice, and three Bola de Prata, achievements unprecedented for a defender, let alone a non-Brazilian one. His positioning was flawless, he scored iconic goals, showed great professionalism and charisma, and preferred to build play not with long passes in the Beckenbauer style but with low, incisive through balls that cut through midfield. The 1974 World Cup, where he was tasked with marking a certain Gerd Müller, brought him to global attention and further cemented his reputation, as if it needed any reinforcement, beyond continental borders. Unlike Passarella, who was more aggressive, fierce, relentless, and instinctive, Figueroa embodied the archetype of a defender who was decisive yet elegant, cerebral, and composed, less flashy perhaps, but arguably even more effective.