33 Legends The football almanac
‹ Uruguay's 33
Obdulio Varela
Photo: Unknown author · Public domain · edited (crop, resize, colour toning, WebP format) · source
08 / Uruguay · 1939–1954

Obdulio Varela

CB sweeper
Caps · Uruguay
45
Goals · Uruguay
9
Life
1917–1996
Clubs
Montevideo Wanderers Fútbol Club, Club Atlético Peñarol
Honours
FIFA World Cup 1950
#8
Editorial rank of 33 for Uruguay
–
The people's rank, live from duel votes

After Friaça put Brazil ahead at the Maracanã on 16 July 1950, Varela tucked the ball under his arm and walked to referee George Reader to argue an offside he later admitted never existed, buying the minutes it took the stadium to fall silent. Uruguay won that final 2-1, and El Negro Jefe had already been named best player of the 1942 South American Championship, adding six Uruguayan titles with Peñarol. Career record: 45 caps and 9 goals for Uruguay; club career at Montevideo Wanderers Fútbol Club, Club Atlético Peñarol; honours include FIFA World Cup 1950.

Career sourcesCareer dates · checked 4 October 2026
Honours · checked 4 October 2026
Identity and career · Wikidata Q471743
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Career record

1938–1943Montevideo Wanderers Fútbol Club
1943–1955Club Atlético Peñarol
Uruguay45 caps, 9 goals

Sources

Shared the era

Uruguay legends whose careers overlapped Varela's

The world's great CBs

Around Varela in the almanac

One rank above: José Santamaría at #7.

One rank below: Diego Forlán at #9.

Uruguay's editorial top five: Juan Alberto Schiaffino · Luis Suárez · Enzo Francescoli · Héctor Scarone · José Leandro Andrade.

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