Messi, Ronaldo, and El Clasico’s top scorers

As the clock counts down to this Saturday's highly-anticipated El Clasico, there's no better time to delve into some of the records surrounding the epic clash. Today, we'll focus on El Clasico's top scorers and see what other great goal scorers than Messi and Ronaldo make the list. 

Top 5 Players with the most goals in EL Clasico history

5. Cesar Rodriguez, Francisco Gento, and Ferenc Puskas (14 goals)

We have a tie between three great goalscorers in the El Clasico with Barca's Cesar Rodriguez and Real Madrid legends Francisco Gento and Ferenc Puskas. Each struck the net 14 times in El Clasico. 

Cesar Rodriguez

César Rodríguez, or “El Pelucas” (Wigman) as he was known, was more than just a player in the epic clashes of El Clásico. The forward was a force of nature. Sporting the Barcelona jersey from 1939 to 1955, César found the net an astounding 14 times against Real Madrid. But what truly set him apart was his almost uncanny ability to head the ball. 

Francisco Gento

If César Rodríguez was Barcelona's early icon, Francisco Gento was Real Madrid's follow-up icon with equal scoring threat. The Spaniard dominated the wing, scoring 178 goals in over six hundred appearances. He also won twelve La Liga titles, six European Cups, and two Copa del Rey.

Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskas is one of Real Madrid's greatest goalscorers for good reason. He also made 46 appearances in the epic El Clasico clash, where he made thunderous strikes and sleek chips. The namesake of the annual “Puskás Award” for the year's best goal, Puskas netted a staggering 747 career goals. He clinched ten major titles at Real Madrid, including five La Liga championships and three European Cups.

4. Raul (15 goals)

At 18, Raúl became El Clásico's youngest-ever scorer when he found the net on September 30, 1996. This early feat foreshadowed a dazzling career with Real Madrid, where he would eventually tally an eye-popping 323 goals, cementing his status as one of the club's all-time great forwards.

Raúl clinched six La Liga titles, three Champions League crowns, and four Spanish Super Cups. He holds the record for most Real Madrid appearances with 741.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (18 goals)

Cristiano Ronaldo netted 450 goals for Real Madrid, a substantial part of his 700-plus career tally. Of these, 105 were Champions League goals, with 18 occurring in El Clasico. Not surprisingly, the lethal goal machine makes the list without even being in the top 10 of El Clasico appearances.

2. Alfredo Di Stefano (18 goals)

Technically tied with Cristiano on strikes in the intense rivalry, Alfredo Di Stefano tops the list with 18 goals. Alfredo Di Stéfano played forward for Real Madrid for 11 seasons, scoring 216 goals in 282 games. He also played a crucial role in shaping Real Madrid's reputation as a top club. His achievements include eight La Liga titles, five European Cups, and one Copa del Rey. As the legendary Diego Maradona once said, “I think the best was Alfredo Di Stefano, he was superior to everyone – even me.”

1. Lionel Messi (26 goals)

He's played the third most games of any El Clasico player but he's the rivalry's greater goalscorer. Lionel Messi scored 672 goals across all competitions for Barcelona before leaving the club in 2021. He also scored his first ever hat-trick for Barcelona in El Clasico at age 19.

During his Blaugrana days, Messi amassed 35 trophies, including a memorable 2009 Champions League title, where he netted the decisive goal in a 2-0 victory over Manchester United.

El Clasico's top all-time scorers

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