The Spanish La Liga has long been one of the most popular leagues worldwide,
among all football fans. To provide you with all the information you need
about the competition, we've dedicated this article to introduce you to the
top five strikers in La Liga history, backed by statistics. Read on to find
out more.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Is it even possible to ignore Cristiano Ronaldo's name when listing the best
strikers in La Liga history?! Absolutely not. The legacy CR7 carved out with
Los Blancos across various competitions, and particularly in La Liga, makes
him one of the greatest forwards of all time, not just in Spanish football but
globally. Some even consider him the best striker in La Liga history.
Cristiano Ronaldo's stats with Real Madrid in La Liga
In La Liga, the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo played 292 matches for Real
Madrid, contributing to a staggering 406 goals! He netted 311 goals and
provided 95 assists. It's worth noting that he clinched the Pichichi Trophy
(top scorer award) three times.
Just imagine, CR7 managed to score 34 hat-tricks during his La Liga career!
Lionel Messi
When discussing Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best strikers in La Liga
history, we must simultaneously talk about the other generational talent,
Lionel Messi. The Argentine maestro dominates the all-time scoring charts in
La Liga, much like his Portuguese counterpart rules the Champions League goal
records.
Lionel Messi's stats with Barcelona in La Liga
Throughout his La Liga career, the Argentine legend Lionel Messi played 520
matches for Barcelona, contributing to an incredible 691 goals!
Messi’s contributions include scoring 474 goals and providing 217 assists,
making him both the all-time top scorer and the player with the most assists
in the history of La Liga.
If you were impressed by Ronaldo's 34 hat-tricks in La Liga, brace yourself -
Messi notched up 36 hat-tricks, despite the vast difference in the number of
appearances between the two players.
Luis Suarez
Another Barcelona star makes our list of the best La Liga strikers of all time
- none other than the Uruguayan " El Pistolero" Luis Suarez. His success in
Spanish football was widely anticipated following his historic goalscoring
exploits with Liverpool. Currently, Suarez is playing alongside his former
Barca teammate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami.
Luis Suarez's stats with Barcelona
Suarez played 283 matches for Barcelona, contributing to 408 goals by scoring
195 and assisting 113.
Luis Suarez's stats with Atletico Madrid - another chapter for El Pistolero
With Atletico Madrid, Suarez played 83 matches, finding the back of the net 34
times and providing six assists. That's a total of 40 goal contributions under
Diego Simeone's guidance.
Karim Benzema
While some periods of his Real Madrid career may not have satisfied the
Bernabeu fans, Karim Benzema's numerous standout performances for Los Blancos,
particularly in his later years, cement him as one of the best strikers to
ever grace Spanish football.
Karim Benzema's stats with Real Madrid
During his stint with the Spanish capital club Real Madrid, the current
Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema played 647 matches, contributing to 518
goals. He scored 353 and assisted 165. His crowning achievement with Real
Madrid came in 2022 when he won the Ballon d'Or.
Ronaldo Nazario (Brazilian Ronaldo)
We've mentioned players from Real Madrid and Barcelona in our list of the top
five strikers in La Liga history. Now it's time to talk about the player who
experienced spells with both El Clasico rivals.
Brazilian Ronaldo, or as we've come to know him, "The Phenomenon," is
undisputedly one of the greatest strikers in football history. His remarkable
success across various clubs, most notably with Spanish giants Real Madrid and
Barcelona, as well as the Milan derby rivals Inter and AC Milan.
Ronaldo Nazario's stats with Barcelona
In his single season with Barcelona (1996-1997), the Brazilian Phenomenon
contributed to 54 goals, scoring 47 and assisting seven in just 49
appearances.
Ronaldo Nazario's stats with Real Madrid
Brazilian Ronaldo played 177 matches for Real Madrid, contributing to 138
goals - 103 scored and 35 assisted.