Ranking alongside the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A as one of the most-watched football leagues worldwide, La Liga is supported by millions, and they’ve had plenty to cheer over the years.
With three of the best sides on the planet in Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, the Spanish league has also witnessed some of the finest goal-scoring feats from an array of stars through the ages.
Today at SBOBET, we’re taking a look at the top five La Liga goal scorers of all time, two from Spain, one from Mexico and, of course, an Argentine genius and a Portuguese superstar.
1. Lionel Messi (438 goals)
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is the most prolific striker in La Liga history as well as being Argentina’s all-time top goal-scorer, and he isn’t finished yet.
His tally of 438 goals from 474 games is unlikely ever to be beaten, and I wouldn’t bet against him reaching 500, on the assumption Barca manage to extend his stay at the Camp Nou when the 2019/20 campaign is finally completed.
Before the lay-off, Barcelona’s recent defeat in El Clasico was one of the La Liga 2020 results of the season. But the Blaugrana have recovered to take top spot, and the very latest La Liga 2020 betting odds say Messi is going to lead Barca to another title.
There’s only one player, in recent times, who can hold a candle to Messi, and that’s a man who rivals him as one of the two best players in the world.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo (311 goals)
Of course, that man is Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived at the Bernabeu in a record £80m move from Manchester United and went on to become Los Blancos’ top scorer of all-time.
In his second season at the Bernabeu, he inherited the Number 7 shirt from Real legend Raul, who appears at number five on this list. In his third season (2011-12) he smashed an incredible 60 goals and he surpassed Raul as the club’s all-time top scorer in 2016.
But while Messi still graces La Liga, Ronaldo has looked further afield to break more records, winning a Serie A title with Juventus last term, and becoming the first player to win a league medal in England, Spain and Italy.
3. Telmo Zarra (251 goals)
Spain striker Telmo Zarra signed for Athletic Bilbao in 1941 and he went on to score 294 goals for the club, in all competitions, as well as represent the national side for six years at the end of the Second World War.
Zarra stayed at Bilbao throughout his career before retiring in 1955. He was part of a superb forward line which included Panizo and Rafa Irondo as Athletic enjoyed fantastic post-war success. His 251 goals from 277 league appearances deservedly puts him in third place of these all-time greats.
4. Hugo Sanchez (234 goals)
This Mexican hitman had a reputation for the spectacular, and his overhead kick against Logrones back in 1988 is still talked about in the bars around the Bernabeu.
The Real Madrid man honed his mastery of the bicycle kick in his early training as a gymnast, and the extra special strike against Logrones prompted head coach Leo Beenkakker to say: “When a player scores a goal like that, play should be suspended and a glass of champagne offered to the 80,000 fans that witnessed it!”
In a career spanning 13 seasons from 1981 to 1994, Sanchez played for Real, Atleti and Rayo Vallecano, hitting his 234 goals in 347 league appearances while scoring 29 goals from 58 appearances for Mexico.
5. Raul (228 goals)
Revered as a Los Blancos legend, Raul Gonzalez was a fan as well as star, and that’s why the Bernabeu faithful loved him as one of their own. He made 550 appearances for Los Blancos between 1994 and 2010, bagging his 228 goals, beating the ratio of 1:2.
In his 16 years at the club, fans adored Rauls’ brilliant ball control and technical ability and his wide range of goal-scoring skills from inside the box and outside, as well as being strong in the air.
And Raul fired Los Blancos to six league titles and three Champions League titles, making 741 appearances to make him may fans’ favourite Real Madrid player of all-time.
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