When talking about Chilean football we all talk about the recent stars like Zamorano, Salas, Suazo, and a host of others. The one that is rarely mentioned by the younger generations is arguably the greatest player to have worn the red jersey- Elías Figueroa.

He was arguably one of the best defenders of the 60's and 70's as he anchored the Chilean backline in . Figueroa is mentioned in the same breath as contemporaries such as Franz Beckenbauer, Paul Breitner, Ruud Krol, Giacinto Facchetti, Bobby Moore, and Daniel Passarella as well as bar setters like Franco Baresi, and Paolo Maldini. He was also a proponent of coming out with elegance and with the ball under control in various situations instead of booting the ball into the 30th row.

His three World Cup appearances made him a very popular name being uttered by attackers all over the world, especially in the 1966 World Cup.

There was no wonder why he was called the "Great Red Wall". During his 16-year career he was the anchor for various defenses throughout South America and was the face of La Roja for well over a generation. His road to immortality and his image of being a strong, elegant leader was the end product of childhood that saw lots of sickness.

Elías was born in Valparaíso, Chile on October 24, 1946. Although he was sick as a child, his spirit never detracted him from what his goal actually was. He suffered from heart problems which manifested themselves in symptoms similar to asthma. He took up the sport at age eight when his family moved to Quipqué.

He began to stand out as and was given the opportunity to play with the big local club, Santiago Wanderers. After lack of playing time he would go on loan to Unión La Calera where he would receive the nickname "Don Elías" at just the tender age of 17.



Inter days
His arrival at Inter was one that saw him turn up into an idol. He played on a side that included a rising star named Falcão who would eventually become King of Rome. Figueroa shored the backfield while Falcão was a threat on the offensive end. His shining moment was in the final week of the 1975 tournament when he scored the legendary "Gol Iluminado" against Cruzeiro to assure the Porto Alegre side their first-ever league title.

"He's one of the greatest of all-time."- Franz Beckenbauer.

A Strike-ing presence
After leaving Palestino, Figueroa decided to try his luck in the NASL where he would team up with Teófilo Cubillas, Gerd Müller, Jan van Beveren, and English midfielder Ray Hudson.

There he would help the South Florida side win the Southern division and reach the league semifinals. A great person to bring back as soon as the new NASL season begins in order to give the team a local boost.