Claudio Pizarro Says He Did Much for Peru Before 2018
Claudio Pizarro said he did a lot for Peru to reach Russia 2018, even though he was not selected for the tournament. In a new interview on Sin Miedo al Éxito, the former Peru forward said the omission still sits with him because he believes his work helped the national team get there.
Pizarro and Peru's route
“No fui al Mundial, pero creo que hice mucho para que Perú vaya a un Mundial. Ya en 2016 me dejan y el Perú va al Mundial, para mí eso fue, así no haya estado, algo reconfortante porque siento que hice un trabajo impresionante en mi camino,” Pizarro said. He tied that feeling to Peru’s place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which ended a 36-year absence from the tournament.
His own international record gives that view some weight. Pizarro made his Peru debut on 17 February 1999 and went on to play five South American World Cup qualifying campaigns and four Copa América tournaments before his last match on 29 March 2016, a 1-0 loss to Uruguay.
Sin Miedo al Éxito remarks
The comments also turned toward the Peruvian press, which Pizarro said is not always fair in its coverage. “En general, la prensa peruana no es muy objetiva siempre. Hay muchos intereses atrás. Y en algunos casos te puedo decir que sí y en otros no. Es un tema medio delicado, pero en algunas circunstancias sí y yo sé, porque había intereses atrás,” he said.
The criticism adds another layer to a long-running frustration around his international exit. Pizarro’s line is clear: he felt he contributed meaningfully to Peru’s route to Russia 2018, but he also felt the personal cost of watching the country reach its first World Cup in 36 years without him.
Pizarro's Peru record
That contrast is sharpened by the numbers. He finished with 85 official matches and 20 goals for Peru, and he now serves as a global ambassador for Bayern Munich. The record left behind is substantial, but so is the absence he keeps returning to whenever Peru’s World Cup run comes up.
