Luis Cubilla was a prominent Uruguayan footballer and coach, known for his impactful career from 1940 to 2013.
Cubilla won an impressive 16 major titles as a player and 17 as a manager throughout his career.
He started his professional career at Peñarol, where he won multiple championships and international titles.
Biography
Early Life
Luis Alberto Cubilla Almeida, known affectionately as "El Negro," was born in Paysandú, Uruguay, in 1940. He began his football journey in the youth team of Colón de Paysandú before making a significant leap to Club Atlético Peñarol in 1957. During his time with Peñarol, he became a key player, contributing to the team's success by winning four Uruguayan league championships, two Copa Libertadores, and a Copa Intercontinental.
Playing Career
Cubilla's playing career flourished as he joined FC Barcelona in 1962, where he played 49 matches and scored 12 goals, helping the team secure the Copa del Rey in 1963. After his stint in Spain, he returned to South America, playing for River Plate from 1964 to 1968, and later for Club Nacional de Football, where he added four more league titles and another Copa Libertadores to his accolades. His career also included brief spells at Santiago Morning and Defensor Sporting, where he played a pivotal role in breaking the dominance of Peñarol and Nacional in the league. Over his international career, Cubilla represented Uruguay in three World Cups (1962, 1970, and 1974), earning 38 caps and scoring 11 goals.
Managerial Career
Transitioning from player to coach, Cubilla found remarkable success as a manager, particularly with Olimpia of Paraguay, where he won seven international titles, including two Copa Libertadores. His coaching journey took him across various clubs in Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay, including Nacional, Peñarol, and Atlético Nacional. He also served as the head coach of the Uruguay National Team from 1991 to 1993. Cubilla's last managerial role was with Olimpia, where he returned in 2010. He passed away in Asunción in 2013, leaving behind a legacy as one of South America's most successful football figures.
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Gallery
Career & Clubs
In 1962 he joined FC Barcelona of Spain, where he was part of the team that won the Copa del Rey in 1963. He played 49 games and scored 12 goals with Barça. Cubilla returned to South America in 1964 to play for River Plate of Argentina. In 1969, he returned to Uruguay joining Nacional where he won 4 more Uruguayan league titles, another Copa Libertadores, a Copa Interamericana and another Copa Intercontinental. In the last years of his career he played for Santiago Morning of Chile and Defensor Sporting of Uruguay where he helped the club to win their first league championship and break the complete dominance of the league by Peñarol and Nacional. Between 1959 and 1974 Cubilla played 38 games for the Uruguay national team in which he scored 11 goals. He played in three World Cups in 1962, 1970 and 1974.
Also known as "El Negro", Cubilla was born in Paysandú and started his playing career in the youth team of Colón de Paysandú. In 1957 he joined Peñarol where he was part of the team that won four Uruguayan league championships, two Copa Libertadores and a Copa Intercontinental.
As a coach, Cubilla achieved enormous success with Olimpia of Paraguay, winning 7 international titles (among them two of the team's three Copas Libertadores) and several national championships. He also coached Nacional, Peñarol, Defensor Sporting, Danubio (all of Uruguay), Atlético Nacional of Colombia, Newell's Old Boys and River Plate of Argentina and Cerro Porteño and Club Libertad, both from Paraguay. Between 1991 and 1993 Luis Cubilla was the head coach of the Uruguay National Team and worked together with his older brother Pedro Cubilla as his assistant coach and Alejandro Riccino as the physical trainer. During 1994 he coached the famous Argentinean club Racing Club de Avellaneda. In February 2007, Cubilla signed with the Ecuadorian team Barcelona de Guayaquil. In 2010, he returned once again as a coach for Olimpia. He died, aged 72, in Asunción.
- Club
- FC Barcelona (1962–1964)
- Club
- Santiago Morning (1975–1975)
- Club
- Club Atlético River Plate (1964–1968)
- Club
- Club Atlético Peñarol (1957–1962)
- Club
- Defensor Sporting Club (1976–1976)
- Club
- Club Nacional de Football (1969–1974)
- Club
- Uruguay men's national football team (1959–1974)
- National team
- Uruguay
Legacy
As a player
Peñarol
Uruguayan Primera División: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961 Copa Libertadores: 1960, 1961 Intercontinental Cup: 1961 Barcelona
Copa del Rey: 1962–63 Nacional
Uruguayan Primera División: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 Copa Libertadores: 1971 Intercontinental Cup: 1971 Copa Interamericana: 1971 Defensor
Uruguayan Primera División: 1976 Individual
IFFHS Uruguayan Men's Dream Team
As a manager
Olimpia Asunción
Paraguayan Primera División: 1979, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 Copa Libertadores: 1979, 1990 Supercopa Libertadores: 1990 Recopa Sudamericana: 1990, 2003 Intercontinental Cup: 1979 Copa Interamericana: 1979 Peñarol
Uruguayan Primera División: 1981
Clubs
- Club Atlético Peñarol1957–1962
- Uruguay men's national football team1959–1974
- FC Barcelona1962–1964
- Club Atlético River Plate1964–1968
- Club Nacional de Football1969–1974
- Santiago Morning1975–1975
- Defensor Sporting Club1976–1976
Played together with
Aarón WergifkerClub Atlético River Plate · 1932–1941- Abayubá IbáñezDefensor Sporting Club · 1967–1967
Abde EzzalzouliFC Barcelona · 2021–2023
Abdón PorteClub Nacional de Football · 1911–1918- Abednigo NgcoboClub Atlético Peñarol · 1980–1981
Abel BalboClub Atlético River Plate · 1988–1989
Abel HernándezClub Atlético Peñarol · 2008–2009- Abel HernándezClub Atlético Peñarol · 2023–2023
- Abel HernándezClub Atlético Peñarol · 2026
Abel RuizFC Barcelona
Abelardo FernándezFC Barcelona · 1994–2002- Abraham González CasanovaFC Barcelona · 2008–2009
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Luis Alberto Cubilla Almeida was a Uruguayan professional footballer and manager. He had a successful playing career winning 16 major titles. He then went on to become one of the most successful managers in South American football with 17 major titles.
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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