Leonel Guillermo Sánchez Lineros (25 April 1936 – 2 April 2022) was a Chilean professional footballer who played as a striker or on the left wing.
He is recognized as one of the Best South American Footballers of the 20th Century and one of the great forwards in the history of the FIFA World Cup.[1] He was the top goalscorer of the 1962 FIFA World Cup where Chile achieved a historic third-place finish. He was also part of the team of the tournament of the World Cup and was awarded the Golden Boot and the Bronze Ball from FIFA.[2] He was also included in the top 100 players of the history of the World Cups by FIFA.[3] At the continental level he was part of the team of the tournament of the 1956 South American Championship, where Chile was the runner-up.[4] In addition, Conmebol included him among the best specialists of free kicks in the history of South America.[5]
Considered one of the best Chilean players in history and one of the club's greatest idols for the club Universidad de Chile, he was one of the leaders of the Blue Ballet era (1959–1969). is remembered for having been the leader of the Chile national team that placed third in the 1962 FIFA World Cup and was one of the prominent participants in the infamous match against Italy. In that match Sanchez had a number of scuffles with Mario David the Italian defender who was eventually sent off for a head high tackle on Sanchez. In La Roja, Leonel Sánchez is the seventh all-time top scorer with a total of 24 goals and 13 assists.[6][7]
His performances both at the Universidad of Chile and in the national team made him recognized by the IFFHS as the 40th Best South American Footballer of the 20th Century, surpassing several international players such as his compatriot Iván Zamorano, Brazilians Domingos da Guia and Ademir Marques de Menezes, Uruguayan José Pedro Cea and Argentine Raimundo Orsi.
He played at left midfield for over 20 years between 1953 and 1973. 17 of those 20 years were for Universidad de Chile, where he was the icon of the Ballet Azul (Blue Ballet), a team that won 6 national championships between 1959 and 1969.
Four of his 24 international goals were at the 1962 World Cup on home soil, where he was the top scorer along with five other players as Chile finished the tournament in third place. In that World Cup he is also remembered for his disputes with several Italian players in the infamous Chile – Italy match in the first round: he knocked out the Italian player Mario David with a punch in an altercation after being fouled, and was subsequently kicked in the head by David a few minutes later, resulting in the Italian defender's sending off. Sánchez later also broke Humberto Maschio's nose with a left hook; Chile won the match 2–0.[8][9] Because of his role in the match, later dubbed the "Battle of Santiago", in 2007, The Times placed Sánchez at number 6 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.[10]
Sánchez remained at Universidad de Chile, although he received numerous offers from well known European clubs such as Real Madrid, Juventus and AC Milan. However, he played on loan for AC Milan, previous to a possible signing, in the Torneo Città di Milano (Milan City Tournament) in June 1963 against both Inter Milan and Santos, where they became champions. He coincided with Mario David, with whom he had quarreled a year before in the Battle of Santiago.[11][12][13] In 1969, after a contract rule was settled, Universidad de Chile was forced to sell him. He finished his career playing for Chilean clubs Colo-Colo, Palestino and Ferroviarios.[14]
Leonel Sanchez was the son of a professional boxer.[17]
Sanchez studied at República Argentina, a prestigious public primary school of Santiago; and at Manuel Barros Borgoño, a traditional public secondary school of the capital.
Universidad de Chile
AC Milan
Colo-Colo
Chile
Individual