Of course Messi (474) and Ronaldo (311) have scored the most La Liga goals

Posted By: Lucky December 26, 2024

Over the years, the Spanish top flight has played host to some of the world’s most prolific goalscorers in the history of the beautiful game. However, who have been the most prolific players in the top level of Spain’s game?

Lionel Messi (474 goals scored in 520 appearances for Barcelona)

The diminutive Argentinian international forward is the Spanish top-flight’s record-ever goalscorer, with all 474 goals of his La Liga goals coming during his Barcelona career from 2004 until 2021.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner won the Pichichi award for being the top goalscorer in Spain’s top-flight on eight occasions in seasons 2009/10, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21.

His goalscoring feats also helped Messi win La Liga Best Player on nine occasions from 2009 until 2019. Messi also won the European Golden Shoe on six occasions.

Cristiano Ronaldo (311 goals scored in 292 appearances for Real Madrid)

The Portuguese superstar spent much of his time in Spain competing with arch-nemesis Messi for supremacy both for La Liga’s top goalscorer award and for the league title.

While Messi has scored more La Liga goals than the former Manchester United star, Ronaldo had a record of better than a goal per game during his time in the Spanish capital from 2009 until 2018.

Ronaldo won the Pichichi Trophy on three occasions in seasons 2010–11, 2013–14, 2014–15. The Portuguese forward also won the European Golden Shoe in all three seasons as well. The forward won La Liga Best Player once in season 2013/14.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo was also highly prolific for Los Blancos in the Champions League, finishing as the top goalscorer in European football’s elite competition on six occasions in seasons 2007/08, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

Telmo Zarra (251 goals scored in 277 appearances for Athletic Club)

Long before Messi and Ronaldo came the prolific Zarra, who was lethal for Athletic Club from 1940 until 1955. The Basque legend scored 251 goals in the Spanish top-flight for Los Leones. He is also Athletic’s top goalscorer in all competitions with 335 goals.

The forward was a prolific winner of the Pichichi Award, winning it in seasons 1944/45, 1945/46, 1946/47, 1949/50, 1950/51 and 1952/53.

Zarra was so prolific that Spanish sports publication Marca named an award the Zarra Trophy, awarded to the top Spanish goalscorer in the top flight.

Karim Benzema (238 goals scored in 439 appearances for Real Madrid)

The French forward enjoyed a long and successful career at Real Madrid from 2009 until 2023. During his time in the Spanish capital, he was prolific in front of goal, scoring 238 La Liga goals in 439 appearances.

benzema playing for madrid through on goal

Jan S0L0, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mainly due to stiff competition, Benzema won the Pichichi on just one occasion in season 2021/22, his penultimate campaign with Los Blancos. However, he did win La Liga Player of the Season on two occasions in seasons 2019/20 and 2021/22.

While with Real Madrid, he also won the Champions League top goalscorer award in 2021/20 and also the UEFA Champions League Player of the Season in the same campaign. His goals in season 2021/22 contributed to the forward winning the Ballon d’Or in 2022.

Hugo Sanchez (234 goals scored in 347 appearances for Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Real Vallecano)

Although the Mexican forward is considered a Real Madrid legend, his first club was actually their city rivals, Atletico. He spent four seasons with Los Colchoneros, initially arriving on loan in 1981.

During his time with Atletico, he made 111 appearances in La Liga, scoring 54 times in the process. He joined Real Madrid in 1985, where he spent seven prolific seasons in La Liga, scoring 164 goals in 207 appearances.

His last spell in Spain came in season 1993/94, when he joined Rayo Vallecano and scored 16 goals as he featured 29 times.

Sanchez was La Liga’s top goalscorer on five occasions while also sharing the European Golden Shoe in season 1989/90. His goalscoring exploits helped him finish in La Liga Team of the Year five times.

Raul (228 goals scored in 550 appearances for Real Madrid)

The forward played youth football for Atletico before switching to Real Madrid in 1992. It was a decision that he no doubt never regretted, as from 1994 until 2010, the former Spain international established himself as a Los Blancos legend.

Not only was he a prolific goalscorer, scoring 228 La Liga goals, but he also holds the record for most appearances of any player in all competitions at 741 games.

Raul won the Zarra Trophy in La Liga on four occasions. He also won La Liga’s Best Spanish Player five in seasons 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01 and 2001/02.

Alfredo Di Stefano (227 goals scored in 329 appearances for Real Madrid and Espanyol)

The Argentinian is a true legend of the beautiful game. He joined Real Madrid in 1954 and stayed with Los Blancos for 11 seasons before ending his playing career with a two-year stint in Catalonia with Espanyol.

Di Stefano won the Pichichi award on five occasions in seasons 1953/54, 1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58 (joint), and 1958/59. He was also the European Cup’s top goalscorer in season 1957/58.

Di Stefano’s goals helped contribute to the forward winning the Ballon d’Or in 1957 and 1959. He was also runner-up in 1956.

Cesar Rodriguez (221 goals scored in 353 appearances for Granada, Barcelona, Cultural Leonesa and Elche)

The diminutive forward started his professional career at Barcelona in 1939, where he stayed until 1955. During his long stint with the Catalan giants, he scored 190 goals in 287 appearances in the Spanish top flight.

During his time with Barcelona, he also had a loan spell at Granada, where he scored 23 goals in just 24 appearances. After leaving the Blaugrana permanently in 1955, he joined Cultural Leonesa, where he spent one season, making 15 appearances and scoring three goals.

He ended his La Liga career with three years at Elche, scoring 42 goals in 80 appearances.

There was some stiff opposition for scoring honours in Cesar’s career. However, he did win the Pichichi award in season 1948/49, when he scored 28 league goals in just 24 appearances.