Real Madrid and Barcelona added another chapter to their epic rivalry on Sunday, 12th January. The two teams met in the Supercopa de Espana final in Saudi Arabia, going toe-to-toe in front of a capacity crowd at the King Abdullah Sports City.
Kylian Mbappe drew first blood for the All-Whites, but the Blaugrana mounted a heroic comeback, with goals from Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde putting them 4-1 up by the end of the first 45. Raphinha doubled his tally shortly into the second 45, making it 5-1 for Barca.
In the 56th minute, Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saw a red card for a challenge on Kylian Mbappe just outside the box. Rodrygo then scored from the resulting free-kick, giving Madrid a glimmer of hope. Barca, however, refused to succumb to the pressure. They held their shape as well as they did their nerves to secure a 5-2 win and lift the Supercopa de Espana. Raphinha, who scored a brace and claimed an assist, deservedly won the Man of the Match award.
Scoring in an El Clasico — the most highly anticipated game on the Spanish football calendar — is a mega achievement, a matter of immense pride. Raphinha, who now has three El Clasico goals, and three of his teammates experienced the Euphoria of doing so on Sunday. In the list below, we will take a look at 10 all-time greats who tasted such joy time and time again throughout their career.
Continue reading to meet the top 10 players who have scored the most goals in El Clasico history.
#10 Luis Suarez: 11 Goals
Barcelona legend Luis Suarez is in 10th place, having scored 11 goals and provided eight assists against Real Madrid in 20 games across seven seasons in the Catalonian capital. The two-time European champion scored in his last El Clasico on Matchday 27 of the 1960-61 season. Unfortunately, his goal only served as a consolation as Barcelona fell to a 3-2 defeat.
Suarez, who played in the middle of the park, won eight El Clasicos, played out two draws, and suffered 10 defeats.
#9 Santillana: 12 Goals
Former Real Madrid centre-forward Santillana spent 17 years in the Spanish capital. During his stay, Santillana played in 35 matches against Barcelona in all competitions, scoring 12 goals. His last El Clasico goal came on Matchday 25 of the 1983-84 La Liga season. His strike helped Los Blancos to a 2-1 victory over Barcelona.
Santillana, a whopping nine-time La Liga winner, won 13 El Clasicos, lost 15, and drew seven.
#8 Paco Gento: 14 Goals
Legendary left-winger Paco Gento joined Real Madrid from Santander in July 1953. Until retiring in 1971, following an 18-year-stay at the club, Gento played 45 El Clasicos, scoring 14 goals. The former Spain international’s final goal with Barcelona came on Matchday 1 of the 1969-70 season. His strike helped Madrid hold Barca to a 3-3 draw.
Gento who won 12 La Liga titles and six European Cups with Los Merengues, won 22 El Clasicos, drew eight, and lost 15.
#7 Ferenc Puskas: 14 Goals
An absolute icon of Real Madrid as well as Spanish football, Ferenc Puskas played 18 games against the mighty Barcelona. According to the data from Transfermarkt, the five-time La Liga winner scored 14 goals for the All-Whites and provided four assists. Puskas’ final El Clasico goal as a Madridista came on Matchday 27 of the 1963-64 season. He hit the back of the net once as Madrid clinched a 2-1 victory over their arch-rivals.
Puskas played 18 El Clasicos wearing Madrid’s iconic all-white kit. He won 11 games, drew once, and suffered six defeats.
#6 Cesar Rodriguez: 14 Goals
Barcelona legend Cesar Rodriguez is the club’s second-most successful player in El Clasicos. The five-time Spanish champion played 28 matches against Real Madrid as a Barcelona player, scoring 14 goals. He also provided a couple of assists, as per Transfermarkt. The former Spain international’s final El Clasico goals came in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg in the 1953-54 season. His brace helped the Catalonian outfit to a 3-1 victory (4-2 on aggregate).
Rodriguez had a decent track record against Barca. He enjoyed 11 wins, played out two draws, and lost 11 games.
#5 Raul: 15 Goals
The beloved ‘Prince of Real Madrid’ had an excellent track record in El Clasicos. The former Spain forward played 37 games against Barcelona, scoring 16 goals and providing 15 assists. His last El Clasico goal came on Matchday 36 of the 2007-08 season. He scored once in Madrid’s 4-1 victory over the Blaugrana.
Raul unfortunately lost more Clasicos than he won. Of his 37 outings, Raul won 11, drew 10, and lost 16.
#4 Karim Benzema: 16 Goals
One of the finest French forwards in history, Karim Benzema tormented Barcelona during his 14-year stint with Real Madrid. The Al-Ittihad star scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in El Clasicos. Benzema was at his sensational best in his final game against Barca. He scored a smashing hat-trick and provided an assist as Los Merengues claimed a 4-0 win in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg in the 2022-23 season.
Benzema won 15 El Clasicos, drew nine, and lost 19.
#3 Alfredo Di Stefano: 18 Goals
The legendary ‘Blonde Arrow’ Alfredo Di Stefano scored 18 goals for Real Madrid against their arch-rivals Barcelona. He featured in a total of 31 El Clasicos during his legendary stint with the All-Whites. Di Stefano’s first El Clasico goal came on Matchday 12 of the 1963-64 season. His strike helped Los Blancos to an emphatic 4-0 win.
The Super Ballon d’Or winner enjoyed 17 wins, settled for three draws, and suffered 11 defeats.
#2 Cristiano Ronaldo: 18 Goals
Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo is in second place on the star-studded list, scoring 18 goals in 30 games against arch-rivals Barcelona. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner also provided three assists. The Portugal international scored a fine goal in his final El Clasico, helping Madrid secure a 2-2 draw on Matchday 36 of the 2017-18 season.
During his nine-year stay in Spain, he won eight El Clasicos, drew eight, and lost 14.
#1 Lionel Messi: 26 Goals
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is the king of El Clasicos, having hit the back of the net 26 times in 45 appearances across competitions. Messi also pitched in with 14 assists. His last goal against Real Madrid came in the first leg of the 2017-18 Spanish Supecopa de Espana final. Barca, however, suffered a 3-1 defeat in that match.
During his time at Barcelona, Messi came out on top in 20 El Clasicos, played out 11 draws, and suffered 16 defeats.
