Foreigners from Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Actual Madrid are amongst these with essentially the most La Liga appearances within the competitors’s historical past.
Whereas it could seem to be Lionel Messi was plying his commerce in Spain far longer than Antoine Griezmann has been, the Frenchman’s lack of ability to get injured has allowed him to match a long-standing file.
With Messi off in Miami, the Frenchman will quickly take the outright file however who else is on the listing? Listed below are the highest 10 most-capped overseas gamers in La Liga historical past.
=10. Mauro Silva and Inaki Williams
Sharing tenth spot, for now, is present Athletic Bilbao participant Williams and former Actual Deportivo midfielder Mauro Silva.
Whereas Williams remains to be enjoying for Bilbao, which means the quantity 10 spot will quickly be his alone, Silva performed within the league from 1992 to 2005.
Spending his whole time at Deportivo, the 1994 World Cup winner made 369 whole appearances for the membership and was an important a part of the groups that gained the league, two Copa del Reys and three supercups.
Williams in the meantime is tenth on Athletic’s all-time high appearances and given the Basque membership’s rule of solely deciding on gamers from the realm, Williams can be the one overseas participant having declared for Ghana in 2022.
9. Roberto Carlos
The free kick maestro himself, Carlos made 370 appearances which was additionally the pace in mph he appeared to kick the ball.
A participant many take into account to be the very best left-back ever, Carlos was one of many unique Galacticos on the Bernabeu. Whereas in Spain, the Brazilian gained three Champions Leagues and 4 league titles however by no means obtained his palms on the Copa del Rey.
Though for a participant with a World Cup winner’s medal and two Copa America triumphs, we’re positive he’s not too fussed about lacking out on Spain’s home cup.
8. Valery Karpin
The present supervisor of the Russian nationwide workforce performed for 3 golf equipment in Spain from 1994 to 2005.
He began at Actual Sociedad having joined from Spartak Moscow and spent a 12 months at Valencia in 1996 earlier than transferring to Celta Vigo the next season.
He performed 168 occasions for the Sky Blues earlier than heading north and again to Sociedad.
General, he made 384 appearances in La Liga, inserting him eighth within the all-time listing.
=6. Marcelo and Luka Modric
The recently-retired Marcelo made a reputation for himself for being Madrid’s marauding left again.
Not at all times essentially the most defensively sound, Marcelo summed up Madrid’s enjoying model of ‘we are going to simply rating greater than you’ throughout 386 league video games there.
While within the Spanish capital. Marcelo gained 5 Champions Leagues, six league titles and two Copa del Reys in probably the greatest Madrid sides of all time.
He left the membership in 2022, returning to his house of Brazil earlier than retiring final 12 months.
As for Modric, he could be three years older than his former team-mate however he continues to play on the highest stage.
The Croatian is ninth in Madrid’s all-time-top appearances and remains to be a key a part of Carlo Ancelotti’s squad.
His contract ends this summer season however there may be each indication that Modric’s time on the Bernabeu isn’t over simply but.
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5. Dani Alves
Arriving in Spain with Sevilla, attacking right-back Alves performed 175 occasions for the southern facet earlier than finishing a transfer to Barcelona for €32.5 million in 2008.
Alves would go on to spend eight years on the Camp Nou and have become not simply the very best proper again on the planet however probably the greatest of all time. Making a telepathic relationship with Messi, Alves was a merciless half to the Barcelona facet that dominated world soccer.
By the point he left Barcelona the primary time, he had gained all the things membership soccer needed to provide. After spells at Juventus, PSG and Sao Paulo, Alves returned to Barcelona for 14 video games.
He retired in 2023 however was charged with rape and sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail. Having paid a €1 million bail, Alves was launched however prohibited from leaving Spain.
4. Ivan Rakitic
Given the unenviable activity of changing Xavi at Barcelona, Raktic offered the bodily mixed with technical skill that Luis Enrique wished in his new-look facet.
An typically underappreciated participant, Rakitic scored the opening aim of the 2015 Champions League ultimate and gained 11 trophies with the Camp Nou facet.
He returned to Sevilla in 2020 the place he gained the Europa League earlier than transferring to Al Shabab in 2024.
Nonetheless, Rakitic performed simply eight occasions in Saudi Arabia earlier than transferring again to Croatia with Hajduk Break up.
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3. Karim Benzema
The French striker could have needed to play second fiddle to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale however Benzema was simply as necessary as the opposite big-name gamers.
He was at Madrid for 14 years, profitable the 2022 Ballon d’Or as soon as Ronaldo had left, and scored 238 occasions, making him the membership’s second high scorer in historical past.
The Frenchman then moved to Saudi and Al-Ittihad the place he continues to play to at the present time.
=1. Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann
Lionel Messi in La Liga hardly wants explaining however in case you might have been residing beneath a very giant rock, the Argentine broke nearly each file going.
High goalscorer in La Liga historical past, high help supplier in La Liga historical past, most targets scored in a La Liga season, most assists in a La Liga season, most braces scored in La Liga, most hat-tricks scored in La Liga, most hat-tricks scored in a La Liga season, solely participant to be high goalscorer and high help supplier in the identical season, solely participant to attain 30+ targets in 7 completely different seasons.
The listing goes on and on and on.
Soccer, not simply La Liga, has a earlier than Messi interval and after him as he just about rewrote the file books. He’s the competitors’s high scorer and up till very not too long ago was the outright look holder for a foreigner. He’s ninth within the all-time high appearances makers.
Barcelona’s cash troubles meant a teary goodbye in 2021 however whereas the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has been enjoying elsewhere, Griezmann has gone on to match Messi’s league appearances.
The Atletico Madrid participant’s 86 minutes towards Barcelona was the 520th league look of his profession, placing him stage with Messi.
Lacking simply 25 video games by harm in his complete profession, the Frenchman on the age of 33 appears to be like doubtless so as to add loads of video games to the file.
