player · international archive · 1941–1954

Obdulio Varela

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1917 – 1996midfielder

Uruguay

Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain

Archive goals

for Uruguay

Matches scored in

every one opens its match page below

Tournaments

most in the Copa América (3)

Career span

1941–1954

first 1941-02-26 · last 1954-06-26

Counted from the international goal archive — every scorer-credited goal in the matches it covers, 1916 to today. A record of covered matches, not a complete career count; own goals never join a scorer's tally.

Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela was a Uruguayan football player. He was the captain of the Uruguay national team that won the 1950 World Cup after beating Brazil in the decisive final round match popularly known as the Maracanazo. He was nicknamed "El Negro Jefe" because of his dark skin and the influence he had on the pitch, especially during the unlikely victory over Brazil. He was of African, Spanish and Greek ancestry. Commonly regarded as one of the greatest classic holding midfielders, Varela was adept in defence and was renowned for his tenacity and leadership. He is regarded as one of the greatest captains in football history, and "he remains one of the biggest sporting heroes in Uruguay". — Wikipedia

identity matched to Wikidata · last verified 2026-09-19

In the line-ups

7 appearances in recorded line-ups · 1950–1954

The archive holds 7 team sheets naming Obdulio Varela in Uruguay's starting line-up, from 1950-07-02 to 1954-06-26.

7 appearances in the starting line-ups the archive holds — not a career total. Our line-up coverage is partial, so a match he played that we hold no sheet for is simply not counted here.

International goals in our archive

5 goals across 5 scoring matches · 2 tournaments · 1941–1954

Date	Opponent	Result	Minutes	Competition	Venue
1954-06-26	England	W4–2(n)	39'	FIFA World Cup	Basel
1950-07-09	Spain	D2–2(n)	73'	FIFA World Cup	São Paulo
1945-01-24	Ecuador	W5–1(n)	69'	Copa América	Santiago
1942-01-10	Chile	W6–1(h)	12'	Copa América	Montevideo
1941-02-26	Peru	W2–0(n)	70'	Copa América	Santiago

Honours

26 team trophies · Wikipedia + Wikidata, community-updated

Marquee honours

FIFA World Cup

1950

Copa América

1942

Team honours26
	FIFA World Cup	×1	1950	Uruguay
	Copa América	×1	1942	Uruguay
	Torneo de Honor	×8	1944, 1945, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953	Peñarol
	Competencia tourney	×6	1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953	Peñarol
	Uruguayan Primera División	×6	1944, 1945, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954	Peñarol
	Copa Baron de Rio Branco	×3	1940, 1946, 1948	Uruguay
	Copa Escobar Gerona	×1	1943	Uruguay
Individual honours4
Player of the year · 1
	Copa América Best Player		1942
Teams of the season · 2
	Copa América Historical Dream Team		2011
	FIFA World Cup All-Star Team		1950
More honours · 1
	Varela was among the 13 best South American players of the 20th century according to the IFFHS' Century Elections.

Obdulio Varela

In the line-ups

International goals in our archive

Honours

The Stands

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