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La Liga is one of the best football leagues in the world and has a wide fan following.
The Spanish top flight is home to some of the biggest clubs in the game and most heated rivalries, with many a great player gracing the competition over the years.
Top five Asian goal-scorers in the La Liga
The lure of the La Liga has attracted players from across the globe. Lately, there has been an increasing trend of Asian players plying their trade in the Iberian peninsula.
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On that note, let's take a look at the five most prolific Asian goal-scorers in the La Liga.
#5 Wu Lei (China) - 7 goals
We start off with Wu Lei, arguably the greatest Chinese footballer currently active. Lei is best known for being the youngest debutant and the highest all-time scorer of his country's top division.
In 2018, after more than a decade in the Chinese Super League, Lei arrived at Spanish team Espanyol, making him just the second player from the Asian country to play in the La Liga.
After a moderate start to life in the Iberian peninsula, netting thrice in his first year, the former Shanghai SIPG striker came to life in the second, becoming a regular in the side and netting eight goals.
Four of them came in the league, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to keep the Periquitos in the top flight, as they got relegated to the Segunda Division after 25 years.
#4 Masoud Shojaei (Iran) - 8 goals
More players from Iran are currently plying their trade in European leagues, something that was a rarity only a decade ago.
One such player was Masoud Shojaei, who signed for Osasuna in 2008.
His exploits with Al-Sharjah in the UAE Pro-League caught the eyes of the La Liga outfit, who beat Napoli and Wolfsburg to get his signature.
In his first three years at the club, the midfielder was impressive, netting eight times and making 14 assists in all competitions. But injuries sidelined him for the entirety of the 2011-12 season.
Upon his return to the fold in the next campaign, Shojaei found first-team opportunities limited. After 14 La Liga games, where he scored a goal, Shojaei moved to Las Palmas in the second division.
#3 Takashi Inui (Japan) - 16 La Liga goals
Here's another player you may know of very well. Takashi Inui is the only player in this list who is still active in the La Liga.
A Japanese winger with plenty of experience in Europe's elite leagues, having also played five years in the Bundesliga, Takashi Inui is best known as an Eibar legend, for whom he has made over a century of appearances.
After three good seasons, which yielded 11 La Liga goals, Inui left for Real Betis. But a tough six months saw him move on to Alaves, where things didn't quite work out for him either.
A reunion with Eibar in 2019 saw the return of the prodigal son. But much to his disappointment, his form hasn't been the same, as he has only netted thrice in 46 La Liga games in this period.
#2 Javad Nekounam (Iran) - 24 goals
The only other Iranian player to play for Osasuna is Javad Nekounam, who arrived at Pamplona in 2006, just days before his 26th birthday.
Javad Nekounam's decent start to life in Spain was halted by a serious knee injury in 2007. But he returned a star reborn in the next year, becoming a regular feature in the side and netting several late winners.
By 2012, Nekounam had amassed 149 La Liga appearances for Los Rojillos, ninth in the club's all-time list. He scored 24 times in the league, also helping the side reach the UEFA Cup semi-final in his first season.
#1 John Aloisi (Australia) - 39 goals
Just like in the Premier League and Serie A, we have an Australian player as the top Asian scorer in the La Liga too. John Aloisi joins his former teammates Mark Viduka and Mark Bresciano in leading the charts for the most prolific Asian goal-scorers in some of Europe's top leagues.
Aloisi, a journeyman who has played for 12 clubs in five different countries, had stints with Portsmouth and Coventry before Osasuna signed him in 2001.
John Aloisi went on to have five successful seasons at the club, scoring 29 La Liga goals from 121 appearances. He netted another 10 times with Alaves but couldn't save them from relegation.
