Lionel Messi left his mark on Spanish football. The Argentinian is notably the top scorer in the history of the Clasico. The statistic stands out on the eve of the Spanish Super Cup final between Real and Barça.
Respective winners of Atlético de Madrid and Osasuna, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona face each other on Sunday evening in the final of the Spanish Super Cup. A 256th Clasico which will allow the Merengue to take a little more lead in the number of duels won against Barça (103), or conversely for the Catalans to return in the wake of the Madrilenians. While waiting for this shock, which is still very popular in Spain and around the world, the memory of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo resurfaces.
During his career, the Argentinian played no less than forty-five Clasicos. Enough to allow it to shine time and time again. And the man who is now an eight-time holder of the Ballon d’Or did not hold back to do so. Often inspired against Real Madrid, Lionel Messi has found the net twenty-six times. Enough to make him the undisputed leader in the ranking of the best scorers in the history of the Clasico.
Ronaldo, the dolphin
A position that he occupies in front of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. Far behind his former opponent in La Liga, the five-time Ballon d’Or has scored a total of eighteen goals, tied with another Real Madrid figure, Alfredo di Stefano. Karim Benzema comes in fourth position with sixteen goals against FC Barcelona. CR7, on the other hand, has played far fewer Clasicos (29) than Lionel Messi.
D-2 before the first Real 🆚 Barça of the year!
With 26 goals in 45 matches, Lionel Messi largely dominates the ranking of the best scorers in CLASICO history! 🐐
Will he be beaten one day? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/xKlEgS4jXS
— French Football Weekly (@football_fr) January 12, 2024
The fact remains that the two men have left their mark on the history of FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Spanish football, and more generally, world football. Far from the finest hours and the opposition between the two stars in the twilight of their careers, Sunday’s Clasico should still offer a great spectacle.
