ElClasico is a true footballing celebration, always offering up clashes between the world’s best players. The last 16 Ballon d’Or winners have all played for one of these two clubs; the star power on show is spectacular. This tradition goes way back, of course. Here are five of the stars who have gone down in the history of this great game.
Lionel Messi
There are no doubts around Messi’s iconic status in the history of this great rivalry. The Argentine is ElClasico’s all-time top scorer, with 26 goals in 45 appearances in all competitions. The majority, 15 of the 26, were scored away from home at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium, which makes his achievements over the years even more impressive.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Talk about Messi, talk about Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward spent the prime years of his career at Real Madrid and was the star of many memorable ElClasicos between 2009 and 2018. Who could forget his extra time headers to win the 2011 Copa del Rey final, or his winner at the Camp Nou in 2011/12 which effectively sealed the LaLiga Santander title for Jose Mourinho’s men? In total, he netted 18 goals from his 30 ElClasico outings.
Alfredo di Stefano
Before Messi and Ronaldo came along to break almost every record in their path, the top scorer in this fixture was Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano. After controversially choosing to move to Real Madrid instead of Barcelona in 1953, Di Stefano kicked off his ElClasico story with a brace in a 5-0 win over Barça later that year and ended it on a high by scoring in a 4-0 victory in 1963.
Luis Figo
Very few players represent both of these clubs over their careers, but Luis Figo did just that by switching from Barcelona to Real Madrid amid huge controversy in 2000. After playing 13 ElClasicos and scoring three goals for Barcelona between 1995 and 2000, the Portuguese winger moved to the capital and faced his former side ten times, this time in the white of Real Madrid. He remains to this day a hugely iconic figure in this rivalry, with many Barça fans yet to forgive him for making the switch.
Sergio Ramos
The former Real Madrid captain holds the joint record for the most ElClasico appearances in history (45) alongside Lionel Messi, ahead of the likes of Manuel Sanchis, Paco Gento, Xavi Hernandez, Sergio Busquets, and Andres Iniesta. Ramos was never one to shy away from attacking responsibilities and scored five goals along the way. He was also sent off five times in ElClasico fixtures, ensuring that the fixture is never short of drama.