From decade to decade, there is always at least one Spanish striker who successfully amazes international football fans. These Spanish strikers are not only good at scoring goals, but also shows wonderful, beautiful, and compelling playing styles. Some of them even managed to win individual awards as well as various prestigious international trophies with their respective teams.
In this article, I want to discuss 15 best Spanish strikers of all time. We will read the profiles of Spanish strikers from modern era such as Fernando Torres, Raul Gonzalez, and David Villa; as well as the profiles of those from the olden days of football such as Cesar Rodriguez, Alfredo Di Stefano, and Luis Aragones. Among those skillful players, who should be crowned the title as the best of the best?
15. Roberto Soldado
Roberto Soldado was raised by Real Madrid's Youth Academy. Failed to get a place in the first team because he was under the shadows of Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain, Soldado finally decided to move away from the club in 2008. His decision proved to be right because once he was given chances to be the main striker at Getafe and Valencia, Soldado showed his true quality. After his brilliant seasons at Valencia, Soldado was signed by Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 with a very high transfer value, approximately 26 million pound sterling.
14. Diego Costa
Diego Costa is a Brazilian player who decided to change his citizenship into Spain. He was originally prepared as a substitute for the main duo of Atletico Madrid, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan. The players began to steal attention since he was trusted to be the main striker of Atletico Madrid in the 2012-2013 season, a season in which he played an important role in helping Atletico win the UEFA Cup and Copa Del Rey.
13. Pedro Rodríguez Ledesma
Pedro is a fast, sharp, and highly talented wing-forward. He has been given the chance to be the first time choice of Barcelona's offensive line since 2009, along with Lionel Messi, Iniesta, Alexis Sanchez and David Villa. Pedro was also a vital part of Spain national team that won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012. At Barcelona, Pedro won two La Liga titles, two Champions League trophies, and two FIFA Club World Cup trophies.
12. Julio Salinas
Julio Salinas is a Spanish striker who has the perfect characteristics of a target man. He is tall, big, strong, and very effective in converting chances into goals. This player was part of Barcelona's dream team in the late 1980s, played alongside other big names like Jose Mari Bakero and Begiristain. During his period joining Barcelona from 1988 to 1994, Salinas won four La Liga titles and one Champions League trophy.
11. Fernando Morientes
Fernando Morientes and Raul Gonzalez combination is one of the best striker duo ever to play for Real Madrid. The duo played a major role in helping Madrid win three Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles. When playing for Madrid, Morientes has always showed its quality as a striker, even become the top scorer of the Champions League in 2004. After being disappointed with the management of Madrid that signed Michael Owen, Morientes finally decided to move out from the club in 2005.
10. Fernando Torres
Although recently he shows inconsistent forms, Fernando Torres is a player who should be included in the list of greatest Spanish strikers ever. He was trusted to be an Atletico Madrid first-team striker at the age of 17 years and he played an important role in restoring Atletico's reputation as one of the best clubs in La Liga. After showing brilliant performances with Atletico, Torres was signed by Liverpool, a club where he managed to score more amazing goals. Torres eventually moved to Chelsea, where he won a Champions League trophy and a Premier League title. Not only that, along with the Spanish national team, Torres won two Euro trophies, the World Cup 2010, and managed to become the top scorer in Euro 2012 and the 2013 Confederations Cup.
9. César Rodríguez
Cesar was the top scorer of all time Barcelona for decades, with a record 232 goals in 351 matches. This player played for Barcelona from 1939 to 1955 and won five La Liga titles. Throughout his career, Cesar is known as a striker who often scored from corner kick situation. This player is also a one-time Spanish league's top scorer in the 1948-49 season.
8. Santillana
Santillana is one of the best Real Madrid strikers who played for the club for 17 years. Although he is not tall, Santillana is known as one of the strikers with the best heading ability. His career with Real Madrid was wonderful, where he won nine Spanish league titles, four Copa del Rey trophies and two Champions League trophies. This player also helped Spain to be the runner-up of Euro 1984.
7. Quini
Quini or Enrique Castro González is one of the best goalscorers in the Spanish league. He is a five-time top scorer of La Liga. This player showed captivating performance while playing for Sporting Gijon from 1968 to 1980. Unfortunately, although his individual performance was great, Sporting Gijon was relegated from La Liga. Didn't want to play in the second division, Quini decided to move to Barcelona in 1980. In this club, he won a La Liga title and a Winners' Cup trophy.
6. David Villa
With a total of 56 goals, David Villa holds the record as Spanish national team's top scorer of all time. Villa is a perfect example of a striker. He is an effective target man, a pretty good dribbler, and known as a reliable penalty-taker. The best period of his career happened at Valencia and Barcelona, where Villa won two La Liga titles, a Champions League trophy, and two Copa del Rey trophies.
5. Luis Aragonés
Luis Aragones is the best Atletico Madrid player of all time. He successfully led the club win four La Liga titles and presented one Intercontinental Cup trophy. Not only that, Aragones also holds the record as Atletico Madrid's top scorer of all time, with a total of 123 goals in 256 appearances. After retiring as a player, Aragones underwent a fairly successful career as a coach. He was the coach of Spanish national team that won the Euro 2008 tournament.
4. Emilio Butragueño
Butragueno is a short, but very prolific striker in scoring goals. He played for Real Madrid for eleven years, from 1984 to 1995. During this period, Butragueno won six La Liga titles, two Champions League trophy, four Supercopa de España trophies, and two Copa del Rey trophies. He also became the top scorer in the Spanish League 1990-91 season and helping the Spanish national team to be the runner-up of Euro 1984.
3. Alfredo Di Stefano
Alfredo Di Stefano is a retired striker who was born in Argentina. He obtained Spanish citizenship in 1956 after playing for Real Madrid. His appearance at this club was so amazing, where Di Stefano won eight league titles and five Champions League trophies in the period 1953-1964. A lot of football pundits regarded him as a perfect striker, both in terms of the physical as well as technical capabilities. During his period at Madrid, he also became five-times La Liga top scorer and was twice awarded with Ballon d'Or.
2. Telmo Zarra
With a total of 251 goals from 278 appearances, Telmo Zarra is the Spanish league's top scorer of all time. Most of these goals were scored when he played for Atheltic Bilbao from 1940 to 1955. This player is also a six-time La Liga top scorer and he won a Spanish league title and five La Liga Copa del Rey trophy at Bilbao. His record at Spanish national team is also quite impressive, where Zarra scored 20 goals in 20 international matches.
1. Raul Gonzalez
In terms of achievements and skills, it seems that Raul is the player who should be crowned the title of the best Spanish striker of all time. Raul is a Real Madrid legend who presented six La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies, and two Intercontinental Cup trophies for the club. Not only that, he is also the Real Madrid's top scorer all-time with a record of 323 goals.
