Pedro Pablo León García (29 June 1943 – 9 May 2020), also known as Pedro "Perico" León, was a

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

vian

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

Career

León made 49 appearances for the

Peru national football team The Peru national football team represents Peru in men's international football. The national team has been organised, since 1927, by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF). The FPF constitutes one of the ten members of FIFA's South America ...

between 1963 and 1973. He then started in the 1970 FIFA World Cup for the Peru national football team, along with

Teófilo Cubillas Teófilo Juan Cubillas Arizaga (; born 8 March 1949) is a Peruvian former footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He was selected as Peru's greatest ever player in an IFFHS poll, in which he was also included in the world's Top 50. H ...

, Roberto Challe and Hugo Sotil. At club level, León played most of his career for Alianza Lima in Peru. He also played in

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

for

Barcelona Sporting Club Barcelona Sporting Club () is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. Internationally known as Barcelona de Ecuador, in Ecuador it is simply referred as Barcelona, El Idolo (BSC) or Barce. T ...

and in

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

for

Deportivo Galicia Deportivo Galicia Fútbol Club (later Galicia de Aragua) was a traditional football club from Venezuela. Founded in Caracas, the club moved, in 2002, to Maracay, in the state of Aragua, when its name changed to Galicia de Aragua, playing the ...

. ''Perico'' León was a strong striker of playful skills and a unique ability to effectively use the score with his head. His ability to create technical plays often allowed him to go back and aid his teammates, thus making him quite a complete player with the possibility to serve as both a good midfielder and an excellent forward. Due to this, Pedro Pablo León is often considered one of the best forwards in the history of Peruvian football. He lived in Miami, Florida, and enjoyed watching his grandson Brian Jair León play soccer for the Varsity high school soccer team in Nevada. His grandson is following in his grandfather's footsteps of becoming a professional footballer.

Honours

Individual awards

* Peruvian League: Top Scorer 1963, 1967 Peruvian League: Top Scorer
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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leon, Pedro Pablo 1943 births 2020 deaths Footballers from Lima Association football forwards Peruvian footballers Peru international footballers Peruvian Primera División players Club Alianza Lima footballers Barcelona S.C. footballers Deportivo Municipal footballers Juan Aurich footballers 1970 FIFA World Cup players Peruvian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Ecuador Expatriate footballers in Venezuela Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Ecuador Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Venezuela