In the running to be crowned top scorer in the Spanish championship for the 7th time, superstar Lionel Messi, captain of a drifting Barça who faces Alavés on Sunday (9:00 p.m. French), could beat the record for legend Telmo Zarra and his six "Pichichi" trophies. Despite a catastrophic season for Barça, Messi continues to chain records: while the Catalans travel to Alavés on Sunday for their last game of the season in La Liga, Messi is preparing to take sole control of the ranking of players who have won most times the very competitive “Pichichi” trophy in Spain, ahead of the former legendary striker of Athletic Bilbao, Telmo Zarra.
With 23 goals on the clock so far, the Argentinian superstar is at the top of the Liga top scorers ranking this season again (after his three consecutive crowns since 2017), ahead of the French center-forward of Real Madrid Karim Benzema (21 goals) and Spanish striker from Villarreal Gerard Moreno (16 goals).
The sixfold Ballon d'Or started its season very strong, with 12 goals in its first 10 matches in the Spanish championship. We remember in particular his two triplets against Celta Vigo (November 9) and against Mallorca (December 7) barely a month apart, and especially his pretty quadruple against Eibar on February 22, for the "manita" of Barça (5-0).
Karim Benzema can still snatch the trophy
But the Pulga has not dominated the ranking with as much ease as in its last three consecutive titles, where it has each exceeded the 30 goals mark in a La Liga season (36 in 2019, 34 in 2018, 37 in 2017). The proof: nothing is yet played for the 2020 classification, because Karim Benzema, author of a double on Thursday to offer the 34th coronation in Liga of his history to Real Madrid, could overtake the Argentinian during the movement of the Merengues at the neighbor Leganés, Sunday evening.
If he retains his advantage at the top of the “Pichichi” classification, Messi will become the only player in history to have won seven trophies for top scorer in the Spanish championship, which has paid homage since 1953 to the mythical striker of Athletic Bilbao Rafael "Pichichi" Moreno.
On the other hand, Messi will not glean a fourth Golden Shoe in a row (trophy rewarding the top scorer in the European championships), which should undoubtedly go to the Polish striker of Bayern Munich Robert Lewandowski (34 goals in the Bundesliga this season). The trophy should even escape the double Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo for the second time only in more than ten years (Diego Forlan at Atlético in 2009, and Luis Suarez at Liverpool in 2014, tied with Ronaldo).
The last ten winners of the La Liga top scorers ranking:
2018-2019: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 36 goals
2017-2018: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 34 goals
2016-2017: Lionel Messi ( ARG / FC Barcelona), 37 goals
2015-2016: Luis Suarez (URU / FC Barcelona), 40 goals
2014-2015: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid), 48 goals
2013-2014: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid) , 31 goals
2012-2013: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 46 goals
2011-2012: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 50 goals
2010-2011: Cristiano Ronaldo (POR / Real Madrid), 40 goals
2009- 2010: Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona), 34 goals
The players titled the most times in the classification of the best scorers of La Liga:
6 trophies:
Telmo Zarra (ESP / Athletic Bilbao) in 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1953
Lionel Messi (ARG / FC Barcelona) in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019
5 trophies:
Alfredo Di Stefano (ARG-ESP / Real Madrid) in 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958 (shared title), 1959
Enrique 'Quini' Castro (ESP / Gijon, FC Barcelona) in 1974, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982
Hugo Sanchez (MEX / Real Madrid) in 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990
4 trophies:
Ferenc Puskas (HUN-ESP / Real Madrid) in 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964
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