Obdulio Varela
Awards & Honours
4
Awards Won
6
Honours
3
Rankings
3
Covers
2
Records
Varela's greatest achievement is captaining Uruguay to the 1950 World Cup title in the Maracanazo, widely considered one of the biggest upsets in sports history. He is consistently ranked among the greatest South American footballers of the 20th century. His leadership and tenacity set a standard for defensive midfielders worldwide.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Uruguayan Football Hall of Fame
Inducted posthumously.
South American Football Hall of Fame
Inducted.
FIFA World Cup All-Time Team
Named to retrospective all-time World Cup team.
Maracanã Stadium Hall of Fame
Honoured for his role in the 1950 final.
Street named after him
A street in Montevideo bears his name.
Statue at Estadio Centenario
A statue of Varela stands outside the stadium.
Rankings & Lists
Best South American Players of the 20th Century
100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
FIFA World Cup Dream Team
Magazine Covers
El Gráfico
July 1950
Varela holding the World Cup trophy
Placar
August 1980
The Maracanazo remembered
World Soccer
June 1994
Legendary captains
Records & Feats
Only Uruguayan captain to win the World Cup on Brazilian soil
Varela captained Uruguay to victory in the 1950 final at the Maracanã, the only time a visiting team has won the World Cup in Brazil.
Architect of the Maracanazo
Varela's halftime speech and leadership orchestrated Uruguay's 2-1 comeback against Brazil in front of over 200,000 fans.