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The El Clasico, contested by Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, is one of the biggest matches in club football.
Originally, only La Liga games between the two teams were termed El Clasico, but the term soon became synonymous with meetings between Real Madrid and Barcelona in any competition.
The two most successful clubs in Spanish football have locked horns with each other in 244 games in various competitions, with the bulk of these clashes (180) happening in La Liga. Real Madrid and Barcelona have each won 96 competitive El Clasico games, with 52 other matches ending in stalemates.
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Seven players with the most goals in El Clasico history
Over the years, some of the finest players in the game have graced the El Clasico, with a handful of them also going on to represent both clubs. Let us have a look at seven players with the most goals in the history of the El Clasico.
#T4 Ferenc Puskas (Real Madrid) - 14 goals
Having signed for Real Madrid at the age of 31 in 1958, Ferenc Puskas etched his name into the club's history books by scoring goals galore during a prolific decade-long stint at the club. He scored 195 goals in 223 games in all competitions for Real Madrid, a tally that included 14 goals against Real Madrid's arch rivals Barcelona.
The Hungarian striker scored three times in four games against Barcelona in the European Champions Clubs' Cup (now called the Champions League) and nine times in 11 La Liga games against the Blaugrana.
During his illustrious career with Real Madrid, Puskas won three Champions Leagues (then called the European Champions Club Cup), five La Liga titles, and eight top-scoring individual honours for the club.
#T4 Francisco Gento (Real Madrid) - 14 goals
During an illustrious near two-decade career with Real Madrid, Francisco Gento, more commonly known as Paco Gento, won a record 12 La Liga titles, and made eight European Champions Club Cup finals - winning a record six of them.
The left winger, who also played for Spain at the 1962 and 1966 FIFA World Cups, scored 137 goals in 450 games in all competitions for Real Madrid. With 14 of these goals coming against Barcelona, Gento is the joint fifth-highest goalscorer in the El Clasico.
Regarded as one of the finest Spanish players of all time, Gento was renowned for his goalscoring prowess from distance and assist-making ability.
#T4 Cesar Rodriguez (Barcelona) - 14 goals
Cesar Rodriguez is one of the greatest ever players to have played for Barcelona.
The prolific goal-scoring centre-forward was particularly renowned for his aerial prowess and dribbling ability. With 232 goals in all competitions, he was Barcelona's all-time top-scorer for six decades, before a certain Lionel Messi surpassed him in the 2011-12 season.
In 28 games against Real Madrid, Rodriguez scored 14 goals - all in the La Liga. It was a record goal tally by a Barcelona player in El Clasico history before he ceded top place to another legendary player to have turned up for the Blaugrana.
#3 Raul (Real Madrid) - 15 goals
One of the greatest Real Madrid players in history, Raul Gonzalez, better known by his first name Raul, is one of the prolific strikers to have played for the club.
During a 16-year-long career with the Merengues, Raul became Real Madrid's all-time record goal-scorer (323 goals) before he was surpassed by a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Raul scored 15 goals against Barcelona in three different competitions - one in the Champions League, three in the Copa Del Rey and 11 in La Liga.
#T2 Alfredo Di Stefano (Real Madrid) - 18 goals
Alfredo Di Stefano is often considered one of the best footballers of all time. During a decade-long stint with Real Madrid, the striker scored goals and created records galore.
The Argentinian player, who was a part of the historic Real Madrid team that won five consecutive European Champions Clubs' Cup, also won eight La Liga titles with Madrid.
Di Stefano's tally of 308 official goals for the club included 18 strikes against Barcelona, which was a record for most goals by any player in El Clasico history for several decades.
The diminutive striker holds the record for scoring in the most finals in the history of the European Champions Club's Cup (now called the Champions League).
#T2 Cristiano Ronaldo - 18 goals
Arguably one of the greatest players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo has created records galore during his prolific career.
The all-time top-scorer in Real Madrid history has scored a staggering 450 goals in only nine seasons at the club, a tally that includes 18 goals against the Merengues' arch-rivals Barcelona.
Like another Real Madrid legend Raul, Ronaldo has netted against the Blaugrana in three different competitions. The Portugal captain has scored nine times in the Liga, five times in the Copa Del Rey and four times in the Super Copa Espana against Barcelona.
Ronaldo holds the record for scoring in most consecutive La Liga games - six.
#1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - 26 goals
Barcelona's all-time record goal-scorer Lionel Messi has also scored the most goals than any other player in El Clasico history.
The then-19-year-old Messi announced himself against the Merengues with a sensational hat-trick at the Bernabeu in 2007, that drew a rare standing ovation from the Real Madrid faithful.
The diminutive Argentinian has since netted 23 more times against Real Madrid, a tally that is eight clear of the next highest top scorer in El Clasico history.
Like Raul and Ronaldo, Messi has also scored in El Clasico games in three different competitions. The Argentina captain has scored 18 times in the La Liga, six times in the Supercopa Espana and twice in the Champions League against Real Madrid.
Messi's 14 assists is also the most by any player in El Clasico history, a tally that he has conjured in three different competitions against Real Madrid.
