Spain’s premier football division, La Liga, is currently one of the most competitive and prestigious leagues in the world. Hundreds of world-class players have tried to make their mark in Spain’s top division since the league’s inception in 1929, nearly a century ago, but only a few have succeeded.
So, today we will talk about five extraordinary players who managed to write their names in the pages of Spanish La Liga history and are regarded as the best goalscorers in the history of this league.
These players have helped their team to win the La Liga title by consistently scoring goal after goal to secure important victories. Let’s take a look at the top 5 goalscorers in Spanish La Liga history:-
5. Karim Benzema – 228 goals in 425 games
Karim Benzema, who came to Real Madrid from the French club Lyon in 2009, is currently the captain of Los Blancos as well as the most important player. He scored his 228th La Liga goal in last week’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
Benzema is the only player on this list who is still actively playing in Spain. The French star has been in charge of Real Madrid since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018. Last season, he scored 27 goals and 12 assists in 32 games as he turned in a career-high performance to help Madrid win their 35th title.
Overall, Benzema has scored 228 goals and provided 117 assists in 425 appearances in the Spanish top league, winning the title four times (2012, 2017, 2020, 2022).
4. Hugo Sanchez – 234 goals in 347 games
Possibly the best Mexican player in world football, Hugo Sanchez has scored 234 goals in 347 games in the Spanish top league with Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano.
He has scored 54 goals in 111 games for Atlético Madrid, while he has scored 164 goals in 207 games while winning 5 titles with Real Madrid. Similarly, playing one season with Rayo Vallecano, he scored 16 goals in 29 matches.
In total, the five-time Spanish champions finished the season as the top scorer in the Spanish top division five times (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990).
3. Telmo Jara – 254 goals in 277 games
Jara is one of the greatest players to ever represent Athletic Bilbao. He had his best performance in the 1950–51 season, finishing as the league’s top scorer six times (1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1953).
Zara has scored 254 goals in 277 games in his La Liga career. Unfortunately, most of Zara’s colleagues were not on her level. That is why he won the Spanish top league title only once (1942-43) in his professional career.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – 311 goals in 292 games
Ronaldo is the only player on this list who has scored more than 1 goal per game in Spanish La Liga. Ronaldo, who came to Real Madrid for a world record fee in 2009, scored 311 goals in 292 games in 9 seasons before leaving the club in 2018.
The Portuguese star, who won the league title twice in 2012 and 2017, won the Ballon d’Or award 4 times while in Madrid and won the Pichichi award three times.
1. Lionel Messi – 474 goals in 520 games
Lionel Messi is the top scorer in La Liga history. Probably the best player in Barcelona club history, Messi played his entire La Liga career in Barcelona. He has scored 474 goals in 520 matches in the Spanish league.
As well as being the top scorer in league history, the Argentinian captain is also the player with the most assists with 216 assists. Before leaving Barcelona as a free agent in 2021, Messi won 10 league titles with Barcelona (2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019).
Likewise, he was the top scorer in La Liga eight times, winning the Pichichi Trophy in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
