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The Chile–Peru football rivalry is a long-standing association football rivalry between the national football teams of
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
and
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
and their respective aficionados. Both teams compete in
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
's South American Football Confederation (
CONMEBOL CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...
). Matches between the two nations are keenly contested and their games have a reputation for fierceness in and off the field of play, fueled by political disputes.
Sports media Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism has its roots in coverage of horse racing and boxing in the early 1800s, mainly targeted towards elites, and into t ...
outlets have listed this rivalry, which is also known in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
as the ''Clásico del Pacífico'' (Pacific Derby), among the most competitive in association football. The derby's name refers to the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
, as both countries are neighbors in South America's Pacific coast, and the winner "earns bragging rights as the best team" in this side of the continent. According to sports historian Richard Henshaw, Chile and Peru traditionally compete with each other over the rank of fourth-best national team in South America (after
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
,
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, and
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
, which are located in the continent's Atlantic side). Although American journalists link the rivalry as a direct consequence of the
War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...
, Chilean historian Sebastián Salinas argues that the football rivalry between Chile and Peru is more recent, dating specifically to the centenary commemorations of the war in the 1970s. According to Salinas, the dictatorships of
Augusto Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean military officer and politician who was the dictator of Military dictatorship of Chile, Chile from 1973 to 1990. From 1973 to 1981, he was the leader ...
in Chile and
Francisco Morales Bermúdez Francisco Remigio Morales Bermúdez Cerruti (4 October 1921 – 14 July 2022) was a Peruvian politician and general who was the ''de facto'' President of Peru (2nd President of the Revolutionary Government of the Armed Forces) between 1975 an ...
in Peru promoted a
nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...
animosity to these games to divert public attention. Moreover, the rise of
football hooliganism Football hooliganism, also known as soccer hooliganism, football rioting or soccer rioting, constitutes violence and other destructive behaviors perpetrated by spectators at association football events. Football hooliganism typically involves ...
, from the Argentine ''
barra brava () is the name of organized supporters' groups of association football, football teams in Hispanic America that provides fanatical support to their clubs in stadiums and provoke violence against rival fans as well as against the police. Actio ...
'' sports culture that influenced Chile and Peru in the 1980s, further intensified the rivalry. Chile and Peru have played against each other 87 times in friendlies and tournament matches. Peru defeated Chile 1–0 in their first-ever encounter at the
1935 South American Championship The 1935 South American Championship was the thirteenth edition of the football tournament, held from 6–27 January 1935 in Lima, Peru, used for Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay to qualify for the 1936 Summer Olympics. Brazil, Bolivia and Pa ...
held in
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
. Chile holds the records for most victories (45 wins) and top scorer ( Eduardo Vargas, 7 goals). Peru holds the record for the largest victory margin (6–0), acquired in a friendly match played in 1995. Since 1953, both countries have sporadically contested the friendly ''Copa del Pacífico'' (Pacific Cup), which is a trophy awarded to the side with the best record after a two-legged home and away match.


History

The football rivalry between Chile and Peru has increased in intensity since the early twentieth century. Initially, the sports authorities from both countries attempted to use football as a way to foster friendly bilateral sociopolitical relations. In 1933, a private enterprise by businessmen Waldo Sanhueza and Jack Gubbins saw the creation of the Combinado del Pacifico, a binational football team composed by Peruvian and Chilean footballers. The squad was initially composed by players from the Chilean club
Colo-Colo Colo-Colo (), officially Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo, is a Chilean professional football club based in Macul, Santiago. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano, it competes in the Chilean Primera División, from which the club has never been ...
and the Peruvian club
Universitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes is a Peruvian sports club based in Lima, which has Association football, soccer as its main activity. It also has women's football, volleyball and basketball sections. The football team, popularly known as Universi ...
. After this squad was defeated 1-5 by
Alianza Lima Club Alianza Lima, more commonly known as simply Alianza Lima, is a Peru, Peruvian professional sports club based in La Victoria District, Lima, La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. The club was founded under the name of Sport Alianza on February ...
, another football club from the Peruvian capital, the team was reinforced by Alianza's goalkeeper
Juan Valdivieso Juan Humberto Valdivieso Padilla (6 May 1910 – 2 May 2007) was a Peruvian football goalkeeper and manager. Playing career During his career, he played club football for Alianza Lima. He made 10 appearances for the Peru national football team ...
and creative forward Alejandro Villanueva. Nowadays, Chile v. Peru games generally tend to be very competitive and at times rough, often with players sent off. The two teams display highly contested battles that make for entertaining matches within the
CONMEBOL CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...
region. In 2015, following a
2018 FIFA World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
qualification match that resulted in a 3–4 Chilean victory over Peru in
Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...
, Chile's national team vandalized a dressing room in the Peruvian national stadium. The Chileans left behind a defiant message in the room's wall, "Respect! Through here passed America's champion!" (''Respeto. Por aquí pasó el campeón de América''), alluding to their victory at the
2015 Copa América The 2015 Copa América was the 44th edition of the Copa América, the main international football tournament for national teams in South America, and took place in Chile between 11 June and 4 July 2015. The competition was organized by CONMEBOL, ...
. In 2017, after Chile did not qualify to the World Cup finals, Chilean lawyers accused Peru of colluding with Colombia by drawing 1-1 to eliminate Chile; a complaint later dismissed by FIFA. When Peru reached the World Cup finals, after defeating New Zealand in the qualification play-offs, the Peruvian players celebrated with chants mocking Chile's elimination; an action deemed by ''El Mercurio'', Chile's leading news outlet, as "provocative". Chilean midfielder Marcelo Díaz and naturalized Chilean player-turned-coach
Nelson Acosta Nelson Bonifacio Acosta López, nicknamed ''Pelado Acosta'' (''Bald'' Acosta), (born 12 June 1944 in Paso de los Toros, Uruguay) is a former Uruguayan-born Chilean football manager and footballer. He became a naturalized Chilean citizen in 1984 ...
have in the past dismissed the relevance of this football rivalry. In 2018, Chilean midfielder
Arturo Vidal Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo (; born 22 May 1987) is a Chilean professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chilean Primera División club Colo-Colo and the Chile national football team, Chile national team. His displ ...
declared in an interview that no rivalry existed with Peru. In 2019, nonetheless, he declared in another interview a preference for playing against Peru, stating that "against Peru it's a derby, there is much football rivalry."


National team records

The national football teams of
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
and
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
have a rivalry that is known in Spanish as the ''Clásico del Pacífico'' ("Pacific Derby").
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
World Sport editor Greg Duke ranks it among the top ten football rivalries in the world. The two countries traditionally compete with each other over the rank of fourth-best national team in South America (after
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
,
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, and
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
). They also both claim to have invented the
bicycle kick In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick or scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before ...
; Peruvians call it the ''chalaca'', while it is the ''chilena'' in Chile and the rest of Latin America. Both sides first faced each other in the
1935 South American Championship The 1935 South American Championship was the thirteenth edition of the football tournament, held from 6–27 January 1935 in Lima, Peru, used for Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay to qualify for the 1936 Summer Olympics. Brazil, Bolivia and Pa ...
. Since 1953, both countries have sporadically contested the friendly ''Copa del Pacífico'' ("Pacific Cup"), which is a trophy awarded to the side with the best record after a two-legged home and away match. The first
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
match between both teams took place in the qualification phase for the West Germany 1974 tournament. At present, Chile has a positive overall record against Peru in international football.


FIFA World Cup

The first time both sides played each other was in the qualification round for the West Germany 1974 tournament. Both teams were placed in CONMEBOL's Group 3, along with
Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...
. Following Venezuela's withdrawal from the tournament, the group became a contest between Peru and Chile. The first match was won by Peru on 29 April 1973.


Copa América

Peru and Chile first faced each other in the 1935 South American Championship, with Alberto Montellanos scoring the only goal of the match within 5 minutes resulting in a 1–0 win for the Peruvians. The two sides have played each other 21 times throughout the tournament, with Peru having seven wins, Chile with eight, and six draws. Some notable matches include the
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
semifinal, in which
Carlos Zambrano Carlos Alberto Zambrano Matos (born June 1, 1981), nicknamed "Big Z" or "El Toro", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2001 to 2012 for the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins. Zambrano ...
was sent off after a tackle on
Charles Aránguiz Charles Mariano Aránguiz Sandoval (; born 17 April 1989) is a Chilean professional Association football, footballer who plays as a midfielder for Club Universidad de Chile, Universidad de Chile. With his former club Club Universidad de Chile, ...
, Eduardo Vargas scoring twice, and Gary Medel scoring an own goal in a 2–1 win for ''La Roja'' to see them advance to the final, in which they were victorious against Argentina 4–1 on spot kicks. The Peruvians would get their revenge four years later in
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, in a 3–0 win, with
Edison Flores Edison Michael Flores Peralta (born 14 May 1994) is a Peruvian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Peruvian Liga 1 club Universitario de Deportes and the Peru national team. Flores began his career in the youth ranks of Lima ...
scoring, Gabriel Arias coming off his line and making a disastrous mistake, allowing Yoshimar Yotún to strike the ball into an empty net, and
Paolo Guerrero José Paolo Guerrero González (; born 1 January 1984) is a Peruvian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker for Peruvian Primera División club Club Alianza Lima, Alianza Li ...
tricking Arias to put in a third and send ''Los Incas'' into their first final since 1975.


Friendlies

The most recent friendly match between ''La Blanquirroja'' and ''La Roja'' was on 12 October 2018.


See also

*
Chile–Peru relations Chile-Peru relations are the historical and current bilateral relations between the adjoining South American countries of the Republic of Chile and the Republic of Peru. Peru and Chile have shared diplomatic relations since at least the time of t ...
*
War of the Pacific The War of the Pacific (), also known by War of the Pacific#Etymology, multiple other names, was a war between Chile and a Treaty of Defensive Alliance (Bolivia–Peru), Bolivian–Peruvian alliance from 1879 to 1884. Fought over Atacama Desert ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* *


External links


The official Chilean Football Association web sitePeru FA
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chile And Peru Football Rivalry International association football rivalries
Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
Peru national football team Chile–Peru relations