New Delhi: El Clasico, the legendary clash between the Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid has produced some of the most historic moments with some of football’s greatest players leaving their mark on this fierce derby.
The undisputed giants of Spanish and European football, who together boast an incredible 14 Ballon d’Or titles, have taken their rivalry to new heights. These two have shared the pitch countless times, but El Clasico remains the most defining stage for their battles. Andriy Shevchenko was notably the last player crowned as the best in the world without ever featuring in an El Clasico, achieving this in 2004.
This rivalry has served as a stage for many legendary figures over the years, yet a surprising number of iconic players don’t make the list of top scorers. Despite their status, neither Zinedine Zidane nor Ronaldinho managed to reach double digits in this illustrious fixture.
The latest clash between the two sides is set to take place at midnight at the Santiago Bernabeu. But before the action kicks off let’s take a look at the top five highest scorers who dominated the field in this iconic rivalry.
5. Raul
Raúl, nuestra leyenda madridista anuncia su retirada del fútbol 🙏http://t.co/XAAIE2Z5o0#HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/K507GStgib
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 15, 2015
Raul the Madrid star is associated as a symbol of Real Madrid’s loyalty and passion. He made 37 Clasico appearances and scored 15 goals. The Madrid icon dedicated almost two decades to the club and left the club as an all-time top-scorer in 2010 with a stack of trophies.
Raul scored in two Champions League finals but his late equalizer at Camp Nou in 1999 followed by his iconic “shushing” celebration remains one of the most iconic moments in El Clasico rivalry. Raul’s enduring influence cemented his place among El Clasico’s top scorers.
4. Karim Benzema
¡ Hala Madrid ! 🤍 pic.twitter.com/PnDMyTlmbG
— Karim Benzema (@Benzema) March 10, 2022
The French superstar Karim Benzema comes fourth on the list. Benzema has scored 16 goals including a memorable hat-trick in the Copa del Rey semi-final 2023 that led Madrid to a 4-0 victory at Camp Nou. Zinedine Zidane once even described him as ‘a total footballer’.
Even while playing second fiddle to Ronaldo he scored against Barca in five consecutive seasons. He evolved from a supportive player to a central figure as he continued finding the net in the high-stake encounters. The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner blossomed when Ronaldo left Madrid. The 4-0 victory orchestrated by Benzema matched the record for Barcelona’s heaviest home defeat in history.
3. Alfred Di Stefano
62 years ago this week, Real Madrid offered one of the all-time greats Alfredo Di Stéfano to Man United on loan to help them rebuild from the Munich Air Disaster. pic.twitter.com/2xvrsan8sU
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 7, 2020
One of the most celebrated players in Real Madrid history, Alfred Di Stefano has also scored 18 goals in El Clasico. In 1953 both Barcelona and Real Madrid thought they had signed the Argentine superstar when he was making a move out of Colombian side Millonarios, leading to a controversial dispute that had to be settled by FIFA and a rift that never healed.
Both the clubs initially agreed to share Di Stefano before Madrid paid Barca a fortune to keep him in the club, marking the beginning of his Clasico dominance. Just two days after the paperwork he scored twice in a 5-0 victory of Catalans. He was known for his versatility and was an instrumental asset in Madrid’s victories, embodying the intensity of the rivalry further.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
¡Muchas felicidades por estos 122 años de historia, familia madridista! ¡Hala Madrid! pic.twitter.com/qaPJjjyYDo
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) March 6, 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo has delivered spectacular performances for Real Madrid, scoring 18 goals in 29 appearances. In his first couple of years at Madrid, he earned the tag of a ‘big-game bottler’ as he arrived as the most expensive player in the history of the sport but wasn’t able to score in his first three Clasico games.
Ronaldo’s standout moment came in the 2011 Copa del Rey finals where he scored the match-winning header against Barcelona while his strike at Camp Nou in 2012 effectively wrestled the league title off Pep Guardiola’s side. He rounded Victor Valdes and stuffed the ball into the net and calmed the whole Camp Nou crowd with an instantly iconic celebration. His rivalry with Lionel Messi was a defining era for El Clasico.
1. Lionel Messi
📸 — Messi in the new home jersey during the game. pic.twitter.com/sgwyGjq5LD
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 19, 2020
Lionel Messi is El Clasico’s all-time leading goalscorer. The Argentine has netted 26 goals in 44 appearances for Barcelona. From his 2007 hat-trick at the age of 19 to his famous last-minute goal in 2017. Just 13 minutes left on the clock when he swept the winning goal into the bottom corner. When Madrid players sunk to the turf in defeat he took off his shirt to show the Bernabeu crowd the name and the number of their downfall again.
Messi was at his untouchable peak during Barca’s all-conquering 2010/11 campaign and almost single-handedly knocked Madrid out of the Champions League semi-finals with a spell-binding solo goal. The 37-year-old has landed some outstanding performances against Real Madrid and delivered many unforgettable moments. His goals came across La Liga, the Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup, marking some of his relentless brilliance securing his legendary status. His last El Clasico goal came in a 2-2 draw in 2018.
