Real Madrid, founded in 1902, is one of the most prestigious and successful soccer clubs in the world. The Merengue's history is marked by a relentless pursuit of excellence, both domestically and internationally. As of today, the Spanish side is the most successful team in UEFA Champions League history, with a record 15 titles.
Real Madrid's rise to global prominence began in the 1950s under the leadership of legendary players like Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás, who helped the club win five consecutive European Cups (now the UEFA Champions League) from 1956 to 1960. This era cemented Real Madrid's reputation as a powerhouse in European football.
Over the decades, the club has continued to attract the best talent, from Raúl González and Cristiano Ronaldo to Karim Benzema, contributing to its record number of UEFA Champions League titles. Real Madrid has also been dominant in La Liga, Spain's top football division, consistently competing for and winning titles.
Real Madrid is a team that has had some of the most formidable goal scorers in the history of soccer. From Alfredo Di Stefano in the early days of the club's greatness, to Ferenc Puskas, Emilio Butragueño, and Hugo Sánchez, and in the modern era with Raúl González, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo as top exponents. The surnames of the Merengue goal scorers are compiled in this article, which presents the top 10 all-time goal scorers of Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the history of Real Madrid. The Portuguese player spent nine years with Los Merengues —from the 2009 season to 2018— during which he scored 450 goals in 438 matches. His extraordinary performance earned him an average of 1.03 goals per game.
CR7 shattered the nets of all Spanish and European goals, but he also won 16 titles with Real Madrid: 4 UEFA Champions League, 3 UEFA Super Cups, 3 FIFA Club World Cups, 2 Spanish LaLiga titles, 2 Spanish Super Cups, and 2 Copas del Rey.
Karim Benzema is second on the list with 358 goals in 648 matches for Real Madrid. The French forward joined from Olympique Lyon in 2009 and over 14 years, cemented his place in the club's history as one of its greatest idols.
Benzema shared the attack with Cristiano Ronaldo, forming a formidable strike partnership. The iconic trident known as BBC, where both players played alongside Gareth Bale, became legendary. The fact is, the Lyon-born player played the longest among the three and is also the player with the most titles won with Real Madrid (25).
Raul is the Spanish player with the most goals in Real Madrid's history, with 323. The legendary Merengue idol was the club's top scorer until 2015, when he was surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo. Nevertheless, the San Cristóbal de los Ángeles native still holds the record for the most matches played in the history of Los Blancos, with 741 appearances during his 16 years with the capital's team, from 1994 to 2010.
Di Stefano is synonymous with great history for Real Madrid. Known as the club's first idol, the Argentine forward scored 308 goals in 398 matches played between 1953 and 1964.
The Spanish-naturalized forward accomplished the unparalleled feat of winning five consecutive European Cups with Real Madrid and was awarded the Ballon d'Or twice (1957 and 1959). Additionally, he is the only player in the world to have received a Super Ballon d'Or, awarded in 1989.
Carlos Alonso González, known as Santillana, scored 290 goals in his 645 appearances for Real Madrid, where he played from 1971 to 1988. Additionally, the forward won 16 titles with the Spanish club.
Ferenc Puskas scored 242 goals in just 262 matches with Real Madrid between 1958 and 1967. What might have happened if the Hungarian had arrived at the Spanish club earlier in his career? The forward joined Los Merengues at the age of 31, coming from Honved Budapest. Despite his age, he made a significant impact on the club’s history and won 10 titles.
The Mexican Hugo Sánchez played seven years at Real Madrid (from 1985 to 1992) and scored 202 goals in 282 matches, winning 10 trophies with the Spanish club.
Francisco Gento is not only the eighth all-time top scorer for Real Madrid but also the first player to win six UEFA Champions League titles. The forward played 600 matches for Los Merengues between 1953 and 1971.
José Martínez Sánchez, better known as Pirri, scored 172 goals in his 561 matches as a Real Madrid player, over 16 seasons between 1964 and 1980. His trophy collection includes 15 titles.
Butragueño was a historic forward for Real Madrid who shone between 1984 and 1995, during which he played 463 matches and scored 171 goals. In his extensive time with Los Merengues, he won 16 trophies.
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