Spain is known for producing incredible football talents, from goalkeepers to defenders, midfielders, and strikers. The nation has also had some of the greatest goalscorers in history. Most of the best Spanish strikers played for the national team and top European clubs, where they won titles and respect.

La Roja dominated football between 2008 and 2012, winning two Euros and a World Cup. The historic generation consisted of top stars, including strikers who provided goals. This article ranks the greatest Spanish strikers in history, including their achievements.

Best Spanish strikers of all time

Who is Spain's best striker? David Villa, Raul, and Fernando Torres are La Roja's famous forwards and among the most successful footballers from Spain. So, what did they achieve? Here are the top 10 Spanish strikers ever to grace the sport.

10. Josep Samitier

Top Spanish strikers — José Samitier was a talented footballer who became a coach and a scout after retiring. Photo: @footy_past, @seb_cards (modified by author)
Source: Twitter

Samitier was a Barcelona star and one of the best European forwards of his generation. He led Barca's golden generation in the 1920s and 1930s. The legendary striker also won the silver medal with Spain at the 1920 Olympic Games.

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Full name: Josep Samitier Vilalta
Date of birth: 2 February 1902
Place of birth: Barcelona
Date of death: 4 May 1972
Place of death: Barcelona
Clubs: FC Internacional, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Olympique Marseille, Nice
Honours: La Liga (2), Copa Del Rey (6), Catalan Championship (12), Olympic silver medal

9. Telmo Zarra

Spanish strikers in La Liga — Telmo Zarra was a prolific goal scorer in the Spanish football. His record stood for nearly six decades before Lionel Messi broke it. Photo: EMPICS Sport, @facciacalcio (modified by author)
Source: UGC

The legendary Athletic Bilbao striker dominated football during the 1940s and 1950s. He finished as the top scorer of the Spanish league multiple times, including three seasons in a row from 1944 to 1947. Zarra's record of La Liga's highest scorer with 251 goals stood for 59 years before Lionel Messi broke it in 2014.

The Bilbao legend was a prolific scorer, and the Spanish federation introduced the Zarra trophy to award the top Spanish scorer in a season.

Full name: Pedro Telmo Zarraonandía Montoya
Date of birth: 20 January 1921
Place of birth: Erandio
Date of death: 23 February 2006
Place of death: Bilbao
Clubs: Erandio, Athletic Bilbao, Indautxu, Barakaldo
Honours: La Liga, Copa Del Rey (5), Copa Eva Duarte

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8. Rafael "Pichichi" Aranzadi

Rafael Aranzadi is the man behind the famous Pichichi trophy, given to La Liga's top goalscorer in a season. He is among the old Spanish strikers who helped to transform the nation's football. Aranzadi used to play with a white handkerchief tied around his head.

The Bilbao legend scored nearly the same goals in his matches for the club. He retired at 29 to become a football referee.

Full name: Rafael Moreno Aranzadi
Date of birth: 23 May 1892
Place of birth: Bilbao
Date of death: 1 March 1922
Place of death: Bilbao
Clubs: Athletic Bilbao
Honours: Copa Del Rey (4), Olympic silver medal

7. Alvaro Morata

Morata is one of the top Spanish strikers in La Liga and the only player on the list who is still playing. His skills and goalscoring abilities rank him fifth among La Roja's all-time top scorers, with 34 goals in 69 matches as of December 2023. Morata is also among the most decorated Spanish forwards.

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The lethal striker has also played for top clubs in the Premier League and Serie A. He is among the best Spanish strikers in 2023.

Full name: Álvaro Borja Morata Martín
Date of birth: 23 October 1992
Place of birth: Madrid
Clubs: Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid
Honours: La Liga (2), Copa Del Rey (2), Serie A (2), Coppa Italia (2), Supercoppa Italiana, FA Cup, Champions League (2), UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Nations League
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

6. Emilio Butragueno

Greatest Spanish strikers — Emilio Butragueno of Spain celebrates after scoring during the 1986 FIFA World Cup against Denmark on 18 June 1986 at the La Corregidora Stadium in Queretaro, Mexico. Photo: Allsport
Source: Getty Images

Butragueno was a fantastic striker who led a generation of Real Madrid and Spain footballers. His ball control and flow of play in and around the box remains unmatched. The Madrid legend scored 26 goals in 69 games for the national team. He played in two European Championships and two World Cups.

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Full name: Emilio Butragueño Santos
Date of birth: 22 July 1963
Place of birth: Madrid
Clubs: Real Madrid, Celaya
Honours: La Liga (6), Copa Del Rey (2), Supercopa de España (4), UEFA Cup (2)

5. Alfredo di Stefano

spanish strikers of all time — Alfredo di Stefano was an Argentinian-born Spanish forward who helped change the history of Real Madrid and Spanish football. Photo: Staff, Schirner (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Di Stefano is a famous figure in football. He was born in Argentina and played for the national team before switching nationality to Colombia and Spain. Di Stefano led Real Madrid to remarkable victories and dominance. He scored 23 goals in 31 games for La Roja.

Full name: Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé
Date of birth: 4 July 1926
Place of birth: Buenos Aires
Date of death: 7 July 2014
Place of death: Madrid
Clubs: River Plate, Huracán, Millonarios, Real Madrid, Espanyol
Honours: La Liga (8), Copa Del Rey (1), Champions League (5), Latin Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Copa America, Colombian Premier League, Copa Colombia, Argentine Primera División

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4. Fernando Morientes

The legendary Spanish forward enjoyed a remarkable career success. Morientes spent nine years with the national team, scoring 27 goals in 47 matches. He is 7th in La Roja's all-time scorers list. The former striker played most of his career at Real Madrid before playing in the Premier League and French League One.

Full name: Fernando Morientes Sánchez
Date of birth: 5 April 1976
Place of birth: Cilleros
Clubs: Albacete, Zaragoza, Real Madrid, Monaco, Liverpool, Valencia, Marseille, Santa Ana
Honours: La Liga (2), Copa Del Rey (1), Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League (3), UEFA Super Cup (2), Intercontinental Cup (2), FA Cup, Ligue 1, Coupe de la Ligue
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

3. Fernando Torres

Talk of one of the best Spanish strikers in Premier League history, if not the best, Torres conquered football during his prime at Liverpool. He became famous after scoring the winning goal in the 2008 Euros final against Germany, earning Spain the title.

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The Atletico Madrid legend also won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euros. Fernando Torres is the third-highest scorer in La Roja, with 38 goals in 110 matches. He also managed ten assists for the national team.

Full name: Fernando José Torres Sanz
Date of birth: 20 March 1984
Place of birth: Fuenlabrada
Clubs: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea, AC Milan, Sagan Tosu
Honours: UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League (2), FA Cup, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

2. Raul Gonzalez

The Real Madrid legend is one of the famous Spanish strikers who scored 44 goals in 102 matches for La Roja. Raul was a perfect replacement for Emilio Butragueño at Real. His football skills, leadership and goalscoring prowess set him apart from other top strikers.

Full name: Raúl González Blanco
Date of birth: 27 June 1977
Place of birth: Madrid
Clubs: Real Madrid, Schalke 04, Al Sadd, New York Cosmos
Honours: La Liga (6), Supercopa de España (4), UEFA Champions League (3), UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup (2), DFB-Pokal, DFL-Supercup, Qatar Stars League, Emir of Qatar Cup, North American Soccer League, Soccer Bowl
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

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1. David Villa

Who is Spain's best striker? — Spain's David Villa celebrates scoring during the 2010 FIFA World Cup round of 16 match against Portugal at Green Point Stadium on 29 June 2010 in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: Alex Livesey
Source: Getty Images

The Barcelona legend tops our list of Spain's strikers of all time. He is the country's leading scorer and one of the most skilled and successful. David Villa was unstoppable in the 2010 World Cup, finishing as the joint top scorer with five goals alongside Diego Forlán, Thomas Müller, and Wesley Sneijder.

Villa also formed a great partnership with Lionel Messi, Pedro Rodriguez, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez at Barcelona, where they dominated the world.

Full name: David Villa Sánchez
Date of birth: 3 December 1981
Place of birth: Tuilla
Clubs: Sporting Gijón, Real Zaragoza, Valencia, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, New York City FC, Melbourne City, Vissel Kobe
Honours: La Liga (3), Copa Del Rey (3), Supercopa de España (3), UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Emperor's Cup, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championship
Social media: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

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Who is the top scorer of the Spanish national team?

David Villa is the leading scorer of La Roja with 59 goals in 98 matches. Raul is second with 44 goals, while Fernando Torres has 38. Here is a breakdown of Spain's top 10 best scorers.

Player	Games	Goals	Years
David Villa	98	59	2005 - 2017
Raul Gonzalez	102	44	1996 - 2006
Fernando Torres	110	38	2003 - 2014
David Silva	124	35	2006 - 2018
Alvaro Morata	69	34	2014-date
Fernando Hierro	89	29	1989 - 2002
Fernando Morientes	47	27	1998 - 2007
Emilio Butragueno	69	26	1985 - 1992
Alfredo di Stefano	31	23	1957 - 1961
Sergio Ramos	180	23	2005 - 2023

Final word

Apart from Alvaro Morata, the other best Spanish strikers on our list have retired from football. Each left a mark, inspiring younger generations who look up to them.

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Authors

Helix Odhiambo

Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.