Football players are, more often than not, judged by mere statistics – the number of goals they have scored, the number of trophies they have won. To be the best, it is not enough just to win people’s hearts. You have to cram up the numbers as well.
Most of the time, the player with the best statistics is heralded as the best player. Whether you like it or not, statistics are an important aspect of the game that helps judge a player’s true abilities. Speaking of statistics, it is incredible how analysts all over the world maintain a record of almost everything that players do on the field.
One such incredible statistic that statisticians maintain in football, is which players have scored against which clubs. On that note, here we list five players who have scored against the most number of clubs in the La Liga history.
Honourable mention – Cristiano Ronaldo (30)
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is still early into his days as a La Liga player as compared to the others in the list. However, he does hold an incredible record of having scored against each La Liga club he has faced (bar CD Leganes), 30 to be precise, since his arrival in Spain in 2009. It could only be a matter of time before he joins the rest of the legends on this list, but until then let’s take a look at top five.
#5 Raul Tamudo (33)
Raul Tamudo is considered an Espanyol legend. He featured in the Spanish top flight for 17 seasons, playing in 407 games. The forward was the captain of the Espanyol side for nearly a decade, winning two Copa del Rey trophies with them. He is also the club’s all-time leading scorer with 140 goals across all competitions.
During the later stages of his career, he turned out for Real Sociedad and Rayo Vallecano. The former striker scored 146 goals in the La Liga during his career. Ever since he became a regular starter with the Pericos in 1999-2000, he never scored in single digits in the league for nine consecutive seasons.
However, among the many records that he holds, this particular record stands out and puts him right at the top with the legends of Spanish football. Tamudo scored against 33 different teams including Real Madrid and Barcelona in the La Liga.
#4 Hugo Sanchez (33)
Hugo Sanchez is a former Mexican player who played for La Liga teams like Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. He even played for Rayo Vallecano during the later stages of his career. However, his really earned a name for himself between 1985 and 1992 when he played for Real Madrid.
In his career, he scored 234 goals in La Liga and is placed fourth on the list of all-time top scorers in the history of Spanish top flight. Sanchez scored 154 out of those 234 goals wearing Real Madrid’s shirt and is the club’s sixth highest scorer across all competitions in history.
Sanchez won numerous trophies and laurels during his time at Real Madrid. The Mexican forward also holds the record of scoring against 33 different teams in La Liga. Having featured in the Spanish top division for nearly 12 seasons, it is not really surprising that he makes the list.
#3 Julio Salinas (34)
Julio Salinas is a former Spanish striker who played for Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona. During the later stages of his career, he featured for Deportivo La Coruna, Sporting Gijon, and Alaves. However, he is majorly remembered for his stint at Camp Nou.
The prolific goal scorer scored 152 goals in 417 appearances in the Spanish top flight during the course of his career. At Barcelona, he scored 60 league goals in 146 appearances and helped them win four consecutive La Liga titles and one European Cup. And on his move to Bilbao, two La Liga titles followed.
He scored many important goals during his career and is a cult figure in Spain. Salinas went to score against 34 different clubs in the La Liga. Having featured in the La Liga for 16 seasons, he had come up against a number of different clubs but scoring against 34 of them is truly an incredible feat.
#2 Raul (35)
Raul is nicknamed ‘Mr. Real Madrid’ and rightly so. Regarded as one of the greatest Spanish footballers of all-time, he was a prolific goalscorer who holds many scoring records. He was, in fact, the club’s leading goal-scorer until Ronaldo surpassed him.
In 550 league appearances for Los Blancos, Raul found the net 228 times. He is the fifth highest goal-scorer in the history of Spanish top flight and went on to win a plethora of titles at Madrid which includes six La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League titles.
And for many years he held the record for having scored against the most number of teams in La Liga - 35, to be precise.
He spent 16 years in the Spanish capital, and naturally, faced a lot of different teams during his long career. Raul remains an iconic figure in Spain and is considered as a Real Madrid legend.
#1 Lionel Messi (35)
Lionel Messi is considered as the best footballer in the world at the moment. He made his debut for Barcelona in 2004 and has featured in every La Liga season ever since. Having has scored 326 league goals in only 363 appearances, the Argentine is, in fact, the leading goalscorer in Spanish league history.
Messi is also Barcelona’s all-time leading goal scorer. Scoring goals is almost second nature to him and it is no surprise that he holds this record as well. When Messi scored in Barcelona’s 5-0 rout over Las Palmas, he touched Raul’s record for having scored against the most number of La Liga teams.
However, it is interesting to note, that three La Liga clubs, namely, Xerez, Murcia, and Cadiz, have managed to keep the Argentine magician at the bay. Had he scored against them, Messi would not have been tied at the first spot alongside Raul. Nevertheless, it is only a matter of time before Messi leapfrogs the former Spanish international if he stays at Barcelona beyond this season.
