La Liga is one of the most revered soccer divisions on the planet, known across the land for hosting world-class players and historic teams such as FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Over the years, some unbelievable attacking players have graced the Spanish top flight, scoring goals and providing moments of creative genius to get fans off their seats. In this article, we'll be working our way through some of the standout talents to have led the line in La Liga over the decades. But before we start exploring the La Liga all time top scorers, let's briefly explain the history of this prestigious league.
La Liga will soon celebrate its centenary, having been formed in 1929. Now known officially as LaLiga EA Sports due to sponsorship reasons, La Liga is the top division in the Spanish football pyramid. The league consists of 20 teams, each team contesting a 38-game season in which they play each other side twice, once at home and once away from home.
The team that finishes top of the league wins the division's trophy, while the Top 4 teams all qualify for the Champions League group stages. Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth-placed teams, as well as the side that wins the Copa Del Rey (Spain's biggest domestic knockout trophy) all qualify for the Europa League group stages, and the seventh-placed club will enter the play-off stages for the Europa Conference League. The three bottom sides at the end of each season will be relegated to La Liga 2 (also known as Segunda Division), the Spanish second tier.
The most successful club in La Liga history is Real Madrid, who have secured a whopping 35 titles, followed by Barcelona with 27 titles. Other clubs to have won Spanish football's top prize on multiple occasions include Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, and Valencia. There have also been some major shocks over the years. Earlier this season, FC Girona — a club that has only ever completed four seasons in the top flight — defied all odds and led the pack for several months, dropping off slightly but still set to finish an admirable 3rd in the league. You can find out more about the remarkable rise of Girona here.
Part of the reason FC Girona have been able to compete at the very top throughout 2023/24 is their star striker, Artem Dovbyk. The Ukrainian forward has been a revelation, scoring 18 goals and registering 5 assists so far this campaign campaign, to lead the La Liga top scorers chart for 2023/24.
Dovbyk is closely followed by the aforementioned Jude Bellingham; while the England youngster is not an out-and-out striker, his attacking record since joining Madrid has been phenomenal, with the 20-year-old grabbing 17 goals and 4 assists so far. Another outstanding forward in Madrid's ranks is Vinicius Junior, the Brazil international whose electric pace, skillful footwork and finishing ability means he already has 47 goals and 38 assists in 172 La Liga appearances for Los Blancos.
Elsewhere across the division, some of the other top La Liga forwards in 2024 include Atletico's Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, Osasuna's Ante Budimir, Villareal's Alexander Sorloth, and Getafe's Borja Mayoral.
Each season, the Pichichi Award is handed to the player who scores the most goals in La Liga. Awarded by the popular sports newspaper Marca, the Pichichi Trophy is named after former Athletic Bilbao striker Rafael 'Pichichi' Moreno, a legendary forward who scored 83 goals in 89 games for the Basque side and tragically died before his 30th birthday.
La Liga was founded in 1929, a few years after Moreno's death, and the Trofeo Pichichi was honored after the striker, who made a huge impact on Spanish football in the first quarter of the 20th century. The most recent winner is the prolific Polishman Robert Lewadowski, who scored 23 goals for Barcelona during the 2022/23 campaign. The player with the most Pichichi Award wins is Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi, who has a record eight trophies.
Some truly iconic players have plied their trade in La Liga over the years. Below is a list of every single man to have secured the La Liga top goalscorer award since the competition's inception.
Season |
Player |
Club |
Goals |
Games |
G/G Ratio |
1929 |
Paco Bienzobas |
Real Sociedad |
17 |
18 |
0.94 |
1929-30 |
Guillermo Gorostiza |
Athletic Bilbao |
20 |
18 |
1.11 |
1930-31 |
Bata |
Athletic Bilbao |
27 |
17 |
1.59 |
1931-32 |
Bata |
Athletic Bilbao |
13 |
18 |
0.72 |
1932-33 |
Manuel Olivares |
Real Madrid |
16 |
14 |
1.14 |
1933-34 |
Isidro Langara |
Oviedo |
26 |
18 |
1.44 |
1934-35 |
Isidro Langara |
Oviedo |
27 |
22 |
1.23 |
1935-36 |
Isidro Langara |
Oviedo |
28 |
21 |
1.33 |
1939-40 |
Victor Unamuno |
Athletic Bilbao |
20 |
22 |
0.91 |
1940-41 |
Pruden |
Atletico Madrid |
33 |
22 |
1.5 |
1941-42 |
Mundo |
Valencia |
27 |
25 |
1.08 |
1942-43 |
Mariano Martin |
Barcelona |
30 |
23 |
1.3 |
1943-44 |
Mundo |
Valencia |
28 |
26 |
1.08 |
1944-45 |
Telmo Zarra |
Athletic Bilbao |
20 |
26 |
0.77 |
1945-46 |
Telmo Zarra |
Athletic Bilbao |
24 |
18 |
1.33 |
1946-47 |
Telmo Zarra |
Athletic Bilbao |
33 |
24 |
1.38 |
1947-48 |
Pahiño |
Celta Vigo |
20 |
22 |
0.91 |
1948-49 |
Cesar |
Barcelona |
27 |
24 |
1.13 |
1949-50 |
Telmo Zarra |
Athletic Bilbao |
24 |
26 |
0.92 |
1950-51 |
Telmo Zarra |
Athletic Bilbao |
38 |
30 |
1.27 |
1951-52 |
Pahiño |
Real Madrid |
28 |
27 |
1.04 |
1952-53 |
Telmo Zarra |
Athletic Bilbao |
24 |
29 |
0.83 |
1953-54 |
Alfredo di Stefano |
Real Madrid |
27 |
28 |
0.96 |
1954-55 |
Juan Arza |
Sevilla |
28 |
29 |
0.97 |
1955-56 |
Alfredo di Stefano |
Real Madrid |
24 |
30 |
0.8 |
1956-57 |
Alfredo di Stefano |
Real Madrid |
31 |
30 |
1.03 |
1957-58 |
Manuel Badenes |
Valladolid |
19 |
29 |
0.66 |
Alfredo di Stefano |
Real Madrid |
19 |
30 |
0.63 |
|
Ricardo Alos |
Valencia |
19 |
29 |
0.66 |
|
1958-59 |
Alfredo di Stefano |
Real Madrid |
23 |
28 |
0.82 |
1959-60 |
Ferenc Puskas |
Real Madrid |
25 |
24 |
1.04 |
1960-61 |
Ferenc Puskas |
Real Madrid |
28 |
28 |
1 |
1961-62 |
Juan Seminario |
Real Zaragoza |
25 |
30 |
0.83 |
1962-63 |
Ferenc Puskas |
Real Madrid |
26 |
30 |
0.87 |
1963-64 |
Ferenc Puskas |
Real Madrid |
21 |
25 |
0.84 |
1964-65 |
Cayetano Ré |
Barcelona |
26 |
30 |
0.87 |
1965-66 |
Luis Aragones |
Atletico Madrid |
18 |
28 |
0.64 |
1966-67 |
Waldo |
Valencia |
24 |
30 |
0.8 |
1967-68 |
Fidel Uriarte |
Athletic Bilbao |
22 |
24 |
0.92 |
1968-69 |
Amancio |
Real Madrid |
14 |
29 |
0.48 |
Jose Eulogio Garate |
Atletico Madrid |
14 |
30 |
0.47 |
|
1969-70 |
Amancio |
Real Madrid |
16 |
29 |
0.55 |
Luis Aragones |
Atletico Madrid |
16 |
30 |
0.53 |
|
Jose Eulogio Garate |
Atletico Madrid |
16 |
30 |
0.53 |
|
1970-71 |
Jose Eulogio Garate |
Atletico Madrid |
17 |
28 |
0.61 |
Carles Rexach |
Barcelona |
17 |
28 |
0.61 |
|
1971-71 |
Enrique Porta |
Granada |
20 |
31 |
0.65 |
1971-72 |
Marianin |
Oviedo |
19 |
32 |
0.59 |
1973-74 |
Quini |
Sporting Gijon |
20 |
34 |
0.59 |
1974-75 |
Carlos |
Athletic Bilbao |
19 |
32 |
0.59 |
1975-76 |
Quini |
Sporting Gijon |
21 |
34 |
0.62 |
1976-77 |
Mario Kempes |
Valencia |
24 |
34 |
0.71 |
1977-78 |
Mario Kempes |
Valencia |
28 |
34 |
0.82 |
1978-79 |
Hans Krankl |
Barcelona |
29 |
30 |
0.97 |
1979-80 |
Quini |
Sporting Gijon |
24 |
34 |
0.71 |
1980-81 |
Quini |
Barcelona |
20 |
30 |
0.67 |
1981-82 |
Quini |
Barcelona |
27 |
32 |
0.84 |
1982-83 |
Poli Rincon |
Real Betis |
20 |
30 |
0.67 |
1983-84 |
Jorge da Silva |
Valladolid |
17 |
30 |
0.57 |
Juanito |
Real Madrid |
17 |
31 |
0.55 |
|
1984-85 |
Hugo Sanchez |
Atletico Madrid |
19 |
33 |
0.58 |
1985-86 |
Hugo Sanchez |
Real Madrid |
22 |
33 |
0.67 |
1986-87 |
Hugo Sanchez |
Real Madrid |
34 |
41 |
0.83 |
1987-88 |
Hugo Sanchez |
Real Madrid |
29 |
36 |
0.81 |
1988-89 |
Baltazar |
Atletico Madrid |
35 |
36 |
0.97 |
1989-90 |
Hugo Sanchez |
Real Madrid |
38 |
35 |
1.09 |
1990-91 |
Emilio Butragueño |
Real Madrid |
19 |
35 |
0.54 |
1991-92 |
Manolo |
Atletico Madrid |
27 |
36 |
0.75 |
1992-93 |
Bebeto |
Deportivo La Coruña |
29 |
37 |
0.78 |
1993-94 |
Romario |
Barcelona |
30 |
33 |
0.91 |
1994-95 |
Ivan Zamorano |
Real Madrid |
28 |
38 |
0.74 |
1995-95 |
Juan Antonio Pizzi |
Tenerife |
31 |
41 |
0.76 |
1996-97 |
Ronaldo |
Barcelona |
34 |
37 |
0.92 |
1997-98 |
Christian Vieri |
Atletico Madrid |
24 |
24 |
1 |
1998-99 |
Raul |
Real Madrid |
25 |
37 |
0.68 |
1999-2000 |
Salva Ballesta |
Racing Santander |
27 |
36 |
0.75 |
2000-01 |
Raul |
Real Madrid |
24 |
36 |
0.67 |
2001-02 |
Diego Tristan |
Deportivo La Coruña |
20 |
35 |
0.57 |
2002-03 |
Roy Makaay |
Deportivo La Coruña |
29 |
38 |
0.76 |
2003-04 |
Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
24 |
32 |
0.75 |
2004-05 |
Diego Forlan |
Villareal |
25 |
38 |
0.66 |
Samuel Eto'o |
Barcelona |
25 |
37 |
0.68 |
|
2005-06 |
Samuel Eto'o |
Barcelona |
26 |
34 |
0.76 |
2006-07 |
Ruud van Nistelrooy |
Real Madrid |
25 |
37 |
0.68 |
2007-08 |
Daniel Guiza |
Mallorca |
27 |
37 |
0.73 |
2008-09 |
Diego Forlan |
Atletico Madrid |
32 |
33 |
0.97 |
2009-10 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
34 |
35 |
0.91 |
2010-11 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
40 |
34 |
1.18 |
2011-12 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
50 |
37 |
1.35 |
2012-13 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
46 |
32 |
1.44 |
2013-14 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
31 |
30 |
1.03 |
2014-15 |
Cristiano Ronaldo |
Real Madrid |
48 |
35 |
1.37 |
2015-16 |
Luis Suarez |
Barcelona |
40 |
35 |
1.11 |
2016-17 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
37 |
34 |
1.09 |
2017-18 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
34 |
36 |
0.94 |
2018-19 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
36 |
34 |
1.06 |
2019-20 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
25 |
33 |
0.76 |
2020-21 |
Lionel Messi |
Barcelona |
30 |
35 |
0.86 |
2021-22 |
Karim Benzema |
Real Madrid |
27 |
32 |
0.84 |
2022-23 |
Robert Lewandowski |
Barcelona |
23 |
34 |
0.68 |
As you'll have seen in the above table, numerous players have won the Pichichi Award on multiple occasions. The total goals scored in La Liga by some of those players is quite frankly ridiculous…
Vigo-borno striker Pahiño played 278 La Liga matches between 1943 and 1957, scoring a total of 14 goals for clubs such as Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña.
Enrique Castro González — widely known by his nickname 'Quini' — is arguably Sporting Gijon's most legendary player ever. During two spells at the club (interrupted by a four-year stint at Barcelona), he scored a total of 219 La Liga goals.
An all-time great at Barca, Cesar was a La Liga ever-present during the 1940s and 50s, racking up a whopping 221 goals in the division.
One of the most famous names in the history of football, Argentina-born Alfredo di Stefano played a major role in creating Real Madrid's worldwide 'Galacticos' image; the two-time Ballon d'Or winner scored 227 La Liga goals for Los Blancos and was the first non-Spanish-born player to win the Pichichi award.
A legend of the Spanish game, Raul was a dominant force for Madrid during the 1990s and 2000s, racking up a total of 229 goals in 550 appearances.
Viewed by many as Mexico's greatest-ever player, Sanchez was La Liga top scorer for four consecutive seasons in the mid-late 1980s, a remarkable record that helped him register 234 goals in the division.
One of the few players in this list still playing today, the French Ballon d'Or winner spent most of his career banging goals in for Madrid, notching an impressive tally of 238 in La Liga.
Bronze place is taken by Spanish great Telmo Zarra, a Bilbao legend who bagged a remarkable 251 goals during the 1940s and 50s, winning the Pichichi Award on five occasions.
In terms of numbers, we take a big jump up to second place, where Portuguese all-time top goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo can be found. The Al-Nassr striker battled it out at the top of La Liga for years, winning two league titles and three Pichichi Awards.
Ronaldo's mark on La Liga was great, but Messi's was even greater. The Argentine magician scored an incredible 474 goals in the division during his long career with Barcelona, as well as 192 assists and a ridiculous total of 36 hat-tricks. It's unlikely that anyone will ever break Messi's record as the top goalscorer in La Liga history.
Want to find out about more remarkable football records? Check out our guide to the players with the most assists in soccer history, or find out the Bundesliga's 10 all-time top scorers.