ElClasico is a true football celebration that always offers clashes between the world’s best
players The last 13 Ballon d’Or winners have played for one of these clubs during their award year, making it clear that the star power on show is impressive. This tradition, of course, goes back a long time. Here are five of the stars who made history in this great game.
Lionel Messi
There is no doubting Messi’s iconic status in the history of this great rivalry. The Argentine is El Clasico’s all-time top scorer with 26 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions. The majority, 15 out of 26, have been scored at Real Madrid’s home stadium, the Santiago Bernabeu, making his achievements over the years even more impressive.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Talk about Messi, talk about Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward spent the best years of his career at Real Madrid and was the star of many memorable battles between 2009 and 2018. 2011/12 which effectively sealed the La Liga title for Jose Mourinho’s men. In total, he scored 18 goals in 30 games in El Clasico.
Alfredo di Stefano
While Messi and Ronaldo broke almost every record in their way, Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano became the top scorer in this game. After making a controversial move to Real Madrid instead of Barcelona in 1953, Di Stefano began his El Clasico history by scoring a brace in a 5-0 win over Barca, later and ended it on a high with a 4-0 victory. in 1963.
Luis Figo
Very few players represent both clubs during their careers, but Luis Figo did when he moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid amid much controversy in 2000. The Portuguese winger moved to the capital and met 10 times with his former team, this time in the whites of Real Madrid. He remains a hugely iconic figure in this rivalry to this day, as many Barca fans still haven’t forgiven him for making the switch.
Sergio Ramos
The former Real Madrid captain has made 45 El Clasico appearances, second only to Sergio Busquets. Ramos never shied away from attacking duties and scored five goals in the process. He was also sent off five times in El Clasico, ensuring the game was never short of drama.
Tags: Alfredo Di Stefano, Cristiano Ronaldo, El Clasico, Lionel Messi, Luis Figo, Sergio Ramos