Pedro Virgilio Rocha Franchetti (; 3 December 1942 – 2 December 2013) was a Uruguayan footballer who played 52 games for the Uruguay national team between 1961 and 1974. Nicknamed "el Verdugo" ("the Executioner"), he was a highly skillful midfielder and a prolific goalscorer, regarded by Pelé as "one of the 5 best players in the world". He was listed by the IFFHS as the 37th greatest South American player of the XXth century.Uruguay record international footballers . rsssf. Retrieved on 2016-07-22.
Biography Rocha is the first player to appear in four consecutive World Cups for the Uruguay national team: 1962, 1966, 1970 and 1974, and remained the only one until 2022. He also played in the Copa América in 1967.Copa América 1967. rsssf (2014-05-15). Retrieved on 2016-07-22.
At club level he played most of his career for Peñarol and São Paulo in Brazil.
During his time with Peñarol, the club won eight Uruguayan league titles (1959–1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968), three Copa Libertadores (1960, 1961, 1966) the Copa Intercontinental in 1961 and 1966 and two editions of the Uruguayan Copa Competencia in 1964 and 1967.
In 1970 Rocha joined São Paulo F.C. where he helped the team obtain the Campeonato Paulista in 1971 and 1975. He was the championship top scorer in 1972. In 1977, his final year with the club they became national champions for the first time in their history.
Later in his career he played for Coritiba where he won Campeonato Paranaense championship, Palmeiras and Bangu in Brazil. His last clubs were Deportivo Neza and Monterrey in Mexico in 1979 and 1980.
He coached Japan's J.League club Kyoto Purple Sanga in 1997.
He suffered from mesencephalic atrophy, a serious degenerative illness that affected his speech and his movements, paralyzing part of his body and confining him to a wheelchair. He died on 2 December 2013 in São Paulo, one day before completing 71 years.
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueState leagueFriendly OtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsPeñarol1960Uruguayan Primera División0———519611———119628——6014196318——4336196410———29196515——942619663——1611719676——412219688——144196912——13819701——644Total1578200007235287234São Paulo1970Série A154000—419711501954—91972181821401032519733482067211974111226113715197522332113—1719761102296—1519770039130—13Total136341755459212310393119Coritiba 1978Série A20161—8Palmeiras 1979Série A0000306191Bangu1980Campeonato Carioca0032—5Monterrey1979–80Liga MX30———30Career total41611763310146367
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsUruguay1961101962501963201964001965951966711967108196881196951197021197100197200197300197430Total5217
Managerial statistics J.League Data Site TeamFromToRecordGWDLWin %Kyoto Purple Sanga19971997Total
Honours Peñarol Primera División: 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 Copa Libertadores: 1960, 1961, 1966 Intercontinental Cup: 1961, 1966 Intercontinental Champions' Supercup: 1969
São Paulo Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 1977 Campeonato Paulista: 1971, 1975
Uruguay Copa América: 1967
Individual Uruguayan Primera División Top Scorer: 1963, 1965, 1968 Copa América Best Player: 1967 Intercontinental Champions' Supercup Top Scorer: 1968, 1969 Campeonato Brasileiro Top Scorer: 1972 Bola de Prata: 1973 Copa Libertadores Top Scorer: 1974 IFFHS Uruguayan Men's Dream Team (Team B)
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