List of top La Liga scorers all time
La Liga also known as La Liga Santander is a Spanish football league. The winners of this tournament will qualify for the UEFA Champions League as the No. 1 team. Along with the Premier League, Bundesliga or Ligue 1, La Liga is also a league that gathers the world’s top stars. It can be mentioned as Ronaldinho, Figo, Ronaldo or Messi. With a huge scale and quality that has been raised every year, La Liga has seen a lot of excellent strikers. In this article, let’s take a look at the List of top La Liga scorers all time with the admin of the Kingsoccertips website.
Top La Liga scorers all time – 12 legendary names
1. Lionel Messi (474 goals)
Lionel Messi’s 21-year career at Barcelona, from joining the club at the age of 13 in 2000 to leaving at the age of 34, is undoubtedly one of unparalleled longevity and success that will be hard to surpass in the future. During his time at Barcelona, Messi scored 672 goals in 778 appearances and won 35 major trophies with the club, including 10 La Liga titles and 4 Champions League titles.
He played a crucial role in Barcelona’s historic sextuple-winning season in 2009, where the club secured the Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and FIFA Club World Cup titles. This was also the year Messi claimed his first Ballon d’Or in his journey to becoming the first-ever player to win four consecutive Ballon d’Or awards.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (311 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
To secure the services of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, Real Madrid had to pay a then-world-record fee of £80 million. Over the course of 9 seasons, it proved to be a bargain for the “Galacticos.” In the top 10 list of all-time La Liga goal scorers, Ronaldo boasts the most impressive goal-scoring rate, netting every 81 minutes in La Liga.
Remarkably, during his 9 consecutive seasons at Real Madrid, Ronaldo never scored fewer than 30 goals in a single campaign. His most prolific season came in 2014-15, where the Portuguese superstar found the net 61 times, significantly contributing to Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League triumph that season.
3. Telmo Zarra (254 goals)
Pedro Telmo Zarraonandía Montoya, known as Telmo Zarra, was a Spanish football striker. He spent the majority of his career at Athletic Bilbao, from 1940 to 1955, where he remains the all-time leading scorer with 335 goals. In La Liga, Telmo Zarra dedicated his entire career to Athletic Bilbao.
The Spanish legend’s sole peak was winning the La Liga title in the 1943 season. Additionally, Zarra won 4 Copa del Rey titles with Bilbao. Despite receiving tempting offers during his prime, Zarra remained determined to stay with Bilbao. That’s why Bilbao considers Zarra the greatest legend of the club to this day.
4. Karim Benzema (238 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
The 2022 FIFA Club World Cup was Benzema’s 24th career title with Real Madrid. In the history of the Royal Spanish team, only Marcelo has more trophies than the striker born in 1987 (25). Benzema’s collection includes 4 La Liga, 2 Copa del Rey, 4 Spanish Super Cups, 5 Champions Leagues, 4 UEFA Super Cups, 5 FIFA Club World Cups.
Before the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, Benzema suffered an injury and was unable to travel with his teammates to Morocco on schedule. However, the French striker was lucky to recover just before the final. Benzema returned to the starting line-up and made his mark with one goal and one assist against Al Hilal. He was withdrawn from the 62nd minute to ensure his health.
5. Hugo Sánchez (234 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
Hugo Sánchez, the Mexican football legend, wore the Atletico Madrid jersey from the 1981 to 1984 seasons before joining Atletico’s “rival,” Real Madrid. At the Bernabeu, he played 283 matches and scored an impressive 208 goals. Sánchez continued his career with America, Rayo Vallecano, leaving his mark at each club. Angel Cappa, Real Madrid’s assistant coach in the 1990s, believes Hugo Sánchez is the greatest striker in the history of the club, not Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 61-year-old former forward from Mexico helped Real win La Liga five times, along with one Copa del Rey and one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. During his playing days, he and Emilio Butragueño formed a formidable striking duo for Real Madrid. Both are among the top 10 greatest goal scorers in the club’s history.
6. Raúl (228 goals)
Former Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez has the highest total points in the history of La Liga, according to the latest statistics from the Spanish Football Research Center (CIHEFE). Raul Gonzalez accumulated a total of 528 points. The 39-year-old legend played for Real Madrid from 1994 to 2010, winning six La Liga titles with the club.
Following closely behind the Real Madrid icon is former Barcelona forward Cesar Rodriguez, who won five La Liga titles during his 16 years at Camp Nou. He accumulated 524 points, ranking above Athletic Club’s iconic player Telmo Zarra (493 points).
7. Alfredo di Stéfano (227 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
Alfredo Di Stefano is an idol for multiple generations of players, known for his remarkable stamina, impeccable technique, and indomitable spirit on the field. This is why Di Stefano is hailed as the “Blond Arrow” for his lightning-fast attacking abilities. Thanks to his exceptional physical condition, Di Stefano continued playing until the age of 40 before retiring from the pitch.
He spent 11 seasons wearing the Real Madrid jersey, becoming the heart and soul of the “Galacticos.” In 1949, Di Stefano moved to Colombia to play for Millonarios after a player strike in Argentina. He played four matches for the Colombian national team under the guise of the “All-Star Team of the Colombian League.”
8. César Rodríguez (221 goals)
César Rodríguez’s full name is César Rodríguez Álvarez. He was born on June 29, 1920, in León, Spain. Before becoming a coach at one of the world’s top clubs, Barcelona, César Rodríguez had a highly successful career as a professional footballer. During his time at FC Barcelona, he played a total of 351 matches and scored 235 goals.
Notably, he is the all-time leading goal scorer in the club’s history in La Liga. He won five La Liga titles and was the recipient of the Pichichi Trophy in 1949. During that era, he formed a famous quintet with Estanislao Basora, Ladislao Kubala, Eduardo Manchón, and Moreno, and played a crucial role in Barcelona’s championship in the 1951-1952 season.
9. Quini (219 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
Quini’s real name is Enrique Castro González. He was born on September 23, 1949 in Gijón, Spain. Quini previously played as a striker and is fully attached to Barcelona and Sporting de Gijón. He is considered one of Spain’s best strikers. Quini won 7 prestigious awards during his football career, the Pichichi Trophy, including 5 in La Liga.
He represented Spain for 12 years in two World Cups and a European Championship. In 1968, Quini joined Sporting de Gijón for the first time. In the 1970–1971 season, he scored 13 goals in 30 La Liga matches. Over the next 9 years, Quini won three Pichichi Awards and scored only one goal.
10. Pahiño (214 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
With 210 goals, Pahiño has had a successful career in the colors of Celta Vigo and is in 9th place in the top scorer in La Liga. He is one of the most famous strikers of this team and left a memorable mark in La Liga history. Pahiño also played for Celta Vigo from 1952 to 1954 and 1956 to 1959.
Pahiño’s real name is Manuel Fernández Fernández, born on October 12, 1923 in La Coruña, Spain. He is famous for his role as a striker and impressive goalscoring ability. His personal technical flair, accurate finishing ability and variety have made him one of the most important players of his generation.
11. Edmundo Suárez (195 goals)
Edmundo Suárez scored a total of 195 goals, particularly during his time at Barcelona throughout his La Liga career. He was one of the most impressive goal scorers and left a significant mark in the club’s history. Suárez was renowned for his intelligence on the field, speed, and excellent attacking abilities, making him one of the pivotal goal scorers in Barcelona’s history.
Suárez’s impact at Barcelona extended beyond his goal-scoring prowess. His leadership qualities and ability to influence the game were highly valued by both teammates and fans alike. Throughout his career, he consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and determination, setting an example for younger players to follow.
12. Santillana (186 goals) – Top La Liga scorers all time
His name was born in 1952 from Santillana del Mar, where he was born. After starting his career at Racing Santander, he was recruited by Real Madrid in 1971 at the age of 19. Since then, the career of the Spanish legend has also entered a new page.
He made 645 appearances and scored 290 goals, including 186 in La Liga. This famous striker won 16 titles with the Spanish royal team, including 9 La Liga, 4 Copa del Rey, 1 Copa de la Liga and 2 UEFA Cups. Despite his impressive scoring record, he never won a Pichichi.
Conclude
In the history of La Liga, there have been many outstanding strikers and made eras in Spanish and global football. However, if you have to choose the best striker in the history of La Liga, it is impossible not to mention Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. In addition, you can find out more information and goals of other legends mentioned in this top La Liga scorers all time article. Thank you for your interest and remember to visit the website regularly.
See also: Top 12 Germany all time top scorers