La Liga’s all-time goal-scoring charts: Lionel Messi miles ahead of the rest

Lionel Messi holds the record for most goals in La Liga history, with 474 goals in 520 appearances.

The legendary Argentina forward spent his entire La Liga career at FC Barcelona, making his league debut for the Blaugrana in 2004 against city rivals Espanyol.

Between 2004 and his last appearance in 2021, Messi registered a multitude of scoring records such as most goals in a single La Liga season (50 goals in 37 league games, 2011-12), most assists in a single La Liga season (21, 2019-20), most home goals (35 in 2011-12) and away goals (24 in 2012-13) in a single season.

Lionel Messi also holds the record for most home goals (277) and away goals (197) in La Liga history. He has netted against 38 different opponents in La Liga history.

Messi’s biggest rival and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo is the second-most prolific goalscorer in La Liga history.

After six successful years with Manchester United, the Portugal striker joined Real Madrid in 2009 after an £80 million transfer and the rest as they say is history.

In his nine-year trophy-laden spell at Madrid, Ronaldo scored 311 La Liga goals and continues to hold the records for fastest to 150, 200, 250 and 300 league goals.

Furthermore, Cristiano Ronaldo has also scored the most goals from the penalty spot in La Liga history (61).

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi’s legacy as La Liga’s greatest goalscorers is untouchable. The latter was the first to break Telmo Zarra’s 59-year-old record as the all-time leading goalscorer in La Liga history.

Zarra, with 251 goals in 277 appearances, represented Athletic Bilbao during his entire La Liga career from 1940 and 1955. The former Spanish forward is credited as the first player to score 38 league goals in a La Liga season.

Former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema is fourth in the top-five list, having scored 238 goals in La Liga. The Frenchman won five UEFA Champions Leagues and a Ballon d'Or while with Los Blancos.

Former Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez is fifth on the list and scored 38 league goals in a La Liga season in 1950-51, 39 years after third-paced Zarra had done so.

Sanchez, arguably the greatest Mexican footballer of all time, spent seven seasons with Real Madrid and scored 164 of his 234 career league goals for Los Blancos. He also turned out for Atletico Madrid (54 league goals, 1981-1985) and Rayo Vallecano (16 league goals, 1993-94).

Most goals in La Liga history

Author: William Paul

Featured photo: AFP / LLUIS GENE