Copa del Rey: Top 10 Scorers in the Competition’s History

Having won the competition a record 31 times, Barcelona are the most successful team in Copa del Rey history. Over the years, many world-class players have represented the Blaugrana in the competition, scored a bucketload of goals. Yet, interestingly, Copa del Rey’s all-time top scorer never played for Barcelona.

Hop on as SportsCasting takes a look at the 10 leading scorers in Copa del Rey history, en route to crowning the most prolific goalscorer the tournament has ever seen.

Let’s get to it!

Copa del Rey All-Time Top Scorers

#10 Cesar Rodriguez (Granada, Barcelona, & Elche): 47 Goals

Kicking off the list is former Granada, Barcelona, and Elche forward Cesar Rodriguez. The former centre forward scored 47 goals in the Copa del Rey — 3 for Granada, 36 for Barcelona, and 8 more for Elche. Rodriguez won three consecutive Spanish Cups with the Blaugrana between 1951 and 1953.

Rodriguez played for more than his fair share of clubs, delivering eye-catching performances for most. His finest spell, however, came for Barcelona between 1952 and 1955. He scored 226 goals in 344 appearances across competitions, winning five LaLiga titles.

#9 Santillana (Real Madrid): 49 Goals

Real Madrid icon Santillana is ninth in the rankings, courtesy of his 49-goal haul in the Copa del Rey between 1971 and 1988. He played 85 matches in the Copa, winning the competition four times with the All-Whites.

The former centre forward ed Real Madrid from Santander with a big reputation in 1971. In the following 17 years, he became a club legend, delivering numerous top-drawer performances to propel the club to important accolades. Santillana played 645 games for Los Merengues in all competitions, scoring 291 times. He won nine La Liga titles and two UEFA Cups among other honours.

#8 Laszlo Kubala (Barcelona): 49 Goals

Former Barcelona second striker, Laszlo Kubala, is the eighth-highest goal scorer in Copa del Rey history. Between 1950 and 1961, Kubala played 48 games for Barcelona, hitting the back of the net 49 times. He also represented Espanyol in the Copa del Rey but could not score in his four outings.

Kubala enjoyed a trophy-laden spell with the Blaugrana. Not only did he celebrate five Copa del Rey triumphs with Barcelona, but he also lifted the LaLiga title four times. In all competitions, Kubala scored 193 goals in 254 appearances.

#7 Ferenc Puskas (Real Madrid): 49 Goals

One of the greatest strikers in football history, Ferenc Puskas, ed Spanish giants Real Madrid in July 1958. Having served a one-and-a-half-year ban, an out-of-shape Puskas had the monumental task of excelling in new surroundings. Puskas did not shy away from the challenge and quickly established himself as one of the sharpest strikers in Europe.

He was particularly formidable in the Copa del Rey, scoring 49 goals in 41 appearances and lifting the trophy once. Puskas enjoyed more success in LaLiga and the Champions League, conquering Spain five times and Europe thrice. Before hanging up his boots, Puskas played 262 games for Los Blancos, scoring an astonishing 242 times.

#6 Quini (Sporting Gijon & Barcelona): 50 Goals

Sporting Gijon legend Quini scored for fun in the Copa del Rey, netting 50 goals in the prestigious competition. Quini scored 36 goals for Sporting Gijon and the remaining 14 for Barcelona. Although Quini was at the peak of his powers at Sporting Gijon, he never got to taste domestic success with the club. Both his Copa del Rey triumphs with Barcelona (1980-81 and 1982-83).

Nicknamed “The Wizard,” Quini played 178 matches for Barcelona and over 400 for Sporting Gijon. He finished as LaLiga’s leading scorer in five seasons.

#5 Edmundo Suarez (Valencia): 55 Goals

Valencia legend Edmundo Suarez — lovingly known as Mundo — has secured the fifth spot on the all-time list, scoring 55 goals in the Copa del Rey. He won the competition two times with Los Che. Once in the 1940-41 season and again in 1948-49.

Mundo, a prolific goalscorer, was one of the driving forces behind Valencia’s dominant domestic run in the 1940s. Between 1940 and 1949, he helped the club to three La Liga titles and two Copas del Rey, finishing as the top scorer in two LaLiga seasons.

#4 Lionel Messi (Barcelona): 56 Goals

Arguably the greatest player in football history, Lionel Messi is the fourth name on this star-studded list, having scored 56 goals in 80 Copa del Rey matches. The Argentine superstar, who is Barcelona’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in 778 games, won the competition seven times between the 2004-05 and 2020-21 seasons.

Scoring nine goals, Messi is the top scorer in the Copa del Rey finals. He also scored in most finals (7), claimed the most assists in finals, and won the most Man of the Match awards (3) in the cup decider. Talk about greatness!

#3 Guillermo Gorostiza (Racing Ferrol, Athletic Bilbao, & Valencia): 64 Goals

Guillermo Gorostiza scored 64 goals in the Copa del Rey, claiming the third spot on the all-time goalscorers’ list. Gorostiza scored 3 goals for Racing Ferrol, 37 for Athletic Bilbao, and 24 for Valencia.

Gorostiza, who ruled the left wing, won the Copa del Rey five times in his career — four times with Athletic and once with Valencia.

The former Spain international won the La Liga six times, four times with Athletic and two times with Valencia. Across two clubs, he played 255 LaLiga matches, scoring 178 goals.

#2 Josep Samitier (Barcelona & Real Madrid): 70 Goals

Josep Samitier, one of the few players who dared to represent both Barcelona and Real Madrid, scored 70 goals in the Copa del Rey, cementing his place as the competition’s second-highest scorer of all time. Samitier featured in 83 Copa del Rey matches between the 1919-20 and 1933-34 seasons, winning the competition six times — five times with Barcelona and once with Real Madrid. Samitier scored four goals in the Copa finals.

The former attacking midfielder spent his prime at Barcelona, spearheading their attack between 1919 and 1932. During his stay, the ex-Spain international scored 364 goals in 504 games, winning 12 Campionat de Catalunya titles with the club.

#1 Telmo Zarra (Athletic Bilbao): 81 Goals

One of the greatest goal scorers in the history of Spanish football, Telmo Zarra, bossed the Copa del Rey, emerging as the competition’s all-time top scorer. Between the 1941-42 and 1953-54 seasons, Zarra scored 81 goals in 74 Copa del Rey games. Zarra, who won five Spanish Cups with Bilbao, scored eight goals in the finals.

Zarra enjoyed a legendary stint with his beloved Athletic Bilbao, scoring a whopping 335 times in 351 games in all competitions between 1940-41 and 1954-55 seasons. He is unsurprisingly the club’s all-time top scorer, with second-placed Dani scoring 161 goals fewer.