Who is the Highest Scorer in La Liga History?

Unsurprisingly to any football supporter, the top scorer in La Liga history is Lionel Messi. The former Barcelona player is rated the greatest football player of all time. Messi has won every trophy on offer at club and international level. His rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has captivated the world for almost two decades. 

Messi and Ronaldo battled for years as Barcelona and Real Madrid fought one of the most intense sports rivalries. The diminutive Argentinian has won the coveted Ballon d’Or eight times, three more than Ronaldo. The Portuguese, however, has been nominated a record eighteen times for the award.

Messi might be the highest scorer in La Liga history, but Ronaldo is the greatest striker in football of all time. He has scored more goals than Messi, although he has played two more years of senior football. Nevertheless, SportsBoom compiled a list of the all-time top goal scorers in Spain’s La Liga.

The Top Scorers in La Liga History?

The list of top scorers in La Liga history is impressive. Messi and Ronaldo lead the way. They are the only two players to score more than 300 goals. Messi won a record eight
Pichichi Trophies (La Liga’s top scorer of the season); Ronaldo won three. 

Every player on the top 10 scorers list won the Pichichi Trophy during their careers. Karim Benzema, Real Madrid’s second-highest scorer behind Ronaldo, won the award once, as did César Rodríguez. The others won the Pichichi multiple times. Hugo Sánchez, Alfredo di Stéfano, and Quini all won the award five times. Messi (8), Ronaldo (5), Di Stéfano (2), and Benzema (1) are the only players to win the Ballon d’Or. Ferenc Puskás, who is not on this list, did not win the Ballon d’Or. Puskás did, however, win four Pichichi Trophies. The scorer of the “most beautiful goal” in world football is awarded the FIFA Puskás Award in honour of the Hungary and Madrid legend.

1. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Messi tops La Liga’s goal-scoring charts with 445 goals in 520 appearances for Barcelona. He scored at a ratio of 0.91 goals per game from 2004 to 2021 in a decorated career that saw the Argentina playmaker win every trophy in Spain.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Ronaldo continues to top most scoring charts in world football, but not this one. He and
Messi are two of three players to register more than 800 goals throughout their illustrious
careers. Ronaldo scored 311 goals for Real Madrid in 292 games, a goal ratio of 1.07 – the
best on the list. Ronaldo has won every trophy and individual award – like Messi – but the
Portugal frontman has never lifted the FIFA Men’s World Cup.

3. Telmo Zarra (Athletic Bilbao)

Telmo Zarra is in esteemed company. Zarra scored 251 goals in 277 matches in a career spanning 1940 to 1955. The Basque won six Pichichi titles in nine years, with a goal ratio equal to Messi (0.91) over his 16-year stint for Athletic Club.

4. Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

Often overlooked and underestimated during his time at Madrid because of Ronaldo’s
presence, Karim Benzema won it all. He scored 238 goals in 438 games. The Frenchman won his only Pichichi Trophy in the 2021/22 campaign, leading Los Blancos to their 35th La Liga championship.

5. Hugo Sánchez (Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano)

The only Central American player on this list, Hugo Sánchez scored 234 goals for Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano in a 14-year La Liga career. The Mexican striker scored his goals at a ratio of 0.67 per match. He won the Pichichi four times in a row during the mid-1980s.

6. Raúl (Real Madrid)

Before Ronaldo, there was Raúl. The Madrid-born striker played 16 years for Los Blancos
and won six La Liga titles on his way to becoming the club’s third-highest scorer. He is the
club’s most-capped player, with 741 games. Raúl won two Pichichis as he racked up 228
league goals.

7. Alfredo di Stéfano (Real Madrid, Espanyol)

The most revered Real Madrid player before Ronaldo joined the club. Alfredo di Stéfano was
La Liga’s top scorer five times in six years. The Argentina-born striker won eight La Liga
titles and five European Cups. In 13 years, he scored 227 goals in the league. Di Stéfano won two Ballon d’Or trophies (1957 & 1959). Moreover, he was awarded the Super Ballon d’Or in 1989, the only player to be awarded this honour. The Super Ballon d’Or was awarded to Di Stéfano by French magazine France Football for the best player in the world over the past 30 years.

8. César Rodríguez (Granada, Barcelona, Cultural Leonesa, Elche)

César Rodríguez, like Benzema, won a single Pichichi Trophy. He was no less a striker than any other player on this highest La Liga scorers list. He played 353 La Liga matches for four clubs across 21 seasons, scoring 221 times.

9. Quini (Sporting Gijón, Barcelona)

Quini scored 219 times in 448 La Liga games for two clubs during his 20-year career. He
won five Pichichis during the 1970s and 1980s, three with Sporting Gijón, and two at Barcelona.

10. Pahiño (Celta de Vigo, Real Madrid, Deportivo La Coruña)

Pahiño is tenth on the La Liga goal-scoring charts. He netted 212 goals in 278 games during
his 15-year top-flight career. The Vigo-born striker scored his goals at a ratio of 0.78 per
match, the third-best on the highest scorers in La Liga list. For more features, guides, and the latest news in the world of football, stay connected to SportsBoom.com.