Throughout its long and illustrious history La Liga has been blessed with a cornucopia of astonishing strikers as our all killer, no filler list illustrates.

Legends all, these lethal 10 defined themselves by goals. Lots and lots of goals.

10) Karim Benzema

Prior to the 2021/22 season most La Liga predictions had the French star down as odds-on to win the Pichichi trophy for La Liga’s leading scorer. This is hardly a surprise given that Benzema had finished runner-up three years running, each time behind Messi.

With the Argentine megastar having left for PSG the multiple La Liga champion has indeed fulfilled his destiny, blasting goals in for Real Madrid on an almost weekly basis and it’s a testament to his staggering consistency that this is the case.

In over a decade in Spain, the former Lyon hit-man broke the 20-goal barrier on six occasions. He capped off a magnificent spell at the Bernabeu with the Ballon d'Or in 2022.

9) David Villa

La Roja’s all-time leading goalscorer played for five Spanish clubs but arguably its from his short spell at Barcelona where he most stood out, a deadly finisher for an unforgettable creation that gave tiki-taka to the world.

Having won the Champions League, La Liga with two different clubs, and a World Cup, his is a medal collection that exceeds most and so much of this glory was accrued from his sixth sense knowing where the goal was.

8) Ronaldo

The original – and some say best – Ronaldo was involved in two of the biggest La Liga transfers of all time, first joining Barcelona for a then world record sum of £19.5m in 1996, and later being the most glittering of the Galacticos, signing for Real Madrid from Inter in 2002.

At both behemoths he progressed what was believed possible from a footballer, a devastating fusion of trickery and pace, with a brain that could somehow keep up with his dynamism.

At times the Brazilian was a one-man army who only required his team-mates to give him the ball.

Sadly, injuries curtailed his genius, but we will always have the YouTube clips of his extraordinary goals as a consolation.

7) Ferenc Puskas

The ‘Galloping Major’ was a pivotal figure in the revolutionary ‘Mighty Magyars’, the Hungarian national team that is credited with transforming world football, introducing a tactical awareness that had previously been scoffed at.

Puskas was at the heart of that and at Real Madrid he was equally as influential, scoring seven goals in two European Cup finals and helping them win five league titles in a row.

Between 1958 and 1966 this giant of the game, who was afforded a state funeral on his passing, scored 156 goals in 180 outings.

6) Hugo Sanchez

Most famous for his spectacular bicycle kicks and backflip celebrations, the Mexican’s athleticism and nimble footwork made him one of the most watchable forwards in living memory.

For seven years he lit up the Bernabeu, entertaining the public and terrorising defences and in addition to his explosive contribution to Real Madrid, there were 54 goals for their neighbours Atletico and a further 16 in the twilight of his career at Rayo Vallecano.

In 1988, following a trademark acrobatic strike that defied physics, his manager Leo Beenhakker said: “"When a player scores a goal like that, play should be suspended and a glass of champagne offered to the 80,000 fans that witnessed it."

5) Raul

'El Ferrari’ was a fine example of a modern centre-forward, as capable of outrageous creativity as sniffing out a chance from five yards out. In essence, he was two players rolled into one, both of them brilliant.

Having come up through the Atletico Madrid youth ranks, having supported the Mattress Makers as a boy, his switch across the city to Real was necessitated by his beloved club shutting down their youth system to save costs. Big mistake.

Raul won six league titles with Real Madrid and lifted the Champions League on three occasions. Only four great players – two of whom are still to come on this list – have scored more goals in the latter tournament.

888’s La Liga Betting tips back Real to score most weeks. It would be every weekend if Raul Gonzalez Blanco still led their attack.  

4) Cristiano Ronaldo

The man for the big occasion. Indeed, the man for any occasion. Whoever he played for, in a game of any scale, CR7 stole the show, scoring almost as an afterthought.

His stats for Real Madrid require a double-take, so staggering are they, with 450 goals across all competitions from 438 appearances. That’s 1.03 goals per game and comfortably makes him the all-time record scorer for Los Blancos.

Even factoring in his sublime talent, what really marks Ronaldo down as a genuine legend is his ability to adapt. In the first half of his career, he was a twinkle-toed conjurer.

As veteran status approached, he transformed into an uber-athlete, dispatching headers a lesser man would need a stepladder for.

Now having returned to Manchester United success at Old Trafford is worth an online football bet. With him anything is possible and most things probable.

3) Alfredo Di Stefano

The phenomenally gifted Argentine nicknamed the ‘Blonde Arrow’ scored 216 goals for Real Madrid in 282 games, striking up a partnership with Ferenc Puskas that even sixty years later remains iconic.

Undoubtedly their finest hour and a half took place at Hampden Park, Scotland when together they deconstructed Eintracht Frankfurt in a European Cup final. Purists consider it one of the greatest exhibitions of football witnessed.

A two-time Ballon d’Or winner and the sixth highest goal-scorer in the Spanish top-flight not for nothing did fellow legend Eusebio call him the ‘most complete footballer in the history of the game’. He really was special.

2) Telmo Zarra

Now we’re truly going old-school, with Pedro Telmo Zarraonandía Montoya wrecking much of his damage for Athletic Bilbao across the late-Forties and early-Fifties.

A sensationally prolific 251 La Liga goals had him down for many years as the league’s all-time record goal-scorer but subsequently his tally has been surpassed by Messi and Ronaldo. That still has him crowned as the king of the 20th century in our book.

His long spell with Los Leones heralded six Pichichis and for his team one league title. There is even a trophy named in his honour, given to La Liga’s top scorer each season.

1) Lionel Messi

For much of our lifetime, the magician from Rosario, Argentina has mesmerised the Camp Nou faithful and the wider world with his unerring ability to instruct a football to do exactly what he commands.

That this thrilling action is done on fast-forward just makes it all the more remarkable.

Our La Liga betting odds on Barcelona winning the league title in 2021/22 widened when Messi left for PSG last summer because even that famous institution was always going to struggle when deprived of such a rare talent.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner scored an incredible 474 La Liga goals and that’s without being an out-and-out centre-forward.

There are some who claim Lionel Messi is not the GOAT. These people are lying.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

Every season, without fail, the English second tier provides widespread drama, from several clubs clamouring for the top two promotion berths, to multiple sides in contention for the play-offs, a conclusion often reached on the final weekend.

Then there’s the relegation scrap, that routinely features a whole clutch of struggling candidates. 

Whisper it quietly, but for sheer jeopardy the Championship so often puts the Premier League in the shade.

These 20 superbly put-together collectives however were the exception to the rule. They never bothered with peril, or even close competition.

Instead, they pummelled the football betting and allcomers into submission by winning every Saturday and comfortably claiming a much-deserved title.

In doing so, they are among the finest teams to ever grace the second strata. 

Greatest Championship Teams:

1. Reading – 106 points in 2005/06

2. Sunderland – 105 points in 1998/99

3. Newcastle United – 102 points in 2009/10

4. Leicester City – 102 points in 2013/14

5. Burnley – 101 points in 2022/23

6. Fulham – 101 points in 2000/01

7. Manchester City – 99 points in 2002/03

8. Chelsea – 99 points in 1988/89

9. Wolverhampton Wanderers – 99 points in 2017/18

10. Portsmouth – 98 points in 2002/03

11. Bolton Wanderers – 98 points in 1996/97

12. Norwich City – 97 points in 2020/21

13. Newcastle United – 96 points in 1992/93 

14. Sunderland – 94 points in 2004/05

15. Norwich City – 94 points in 2003/04

16. Nottingham Forest – 94 points in 1997/98

17. Norwich City – 94 points in 2018/19

18. Newcastle United – 94 points in 2016/17

19. Burnley – 93 points in 2015/16

20. Leeds United – 93 points in 2019/20

Here, we take a closer look at the 20 best teams in Championship history based on points total. The rest never stood a chance. 

Leeds United (2019/20)

After coming unstuck in the Play-Offs in 2018-19, Leeds made sure there was no such risk the following season by racking up 93 points under Marcelo Bielsa.

The football was breath-taking throughout, led by 16 goals from Patrick Bamford. 

All doubts about Bielsa-ball evaporated as the victories continued to rack up throughout the winter months. 

On the penultimate weekend, a West Brom loss guaranteed a long-awaited return from the wilderness for the Yorkshire giants. 

Burnley (2015/16)

Relegated from the Premier League the season before, Burnley broke from normal protocol and decided to not fire their manager.

The decision paid dividends, with Sean Dyche guiding the Clarets back to the top-flight with a dominant campaign.

The pressure was on late into the season with Middlesbrough and Brighton both ultimately reaching the 89-point mark.

An unbeaten streak of 23 games, from late-December to the season’s climax kept their rivals at bay. 

Newcastle United (2016/17)

Like Burnley, Newcastle stuck with Rafa Benitez despite suffering relegation.

Benitez waved goodbye to Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko, Daryl Janmaat and Andros Townsend, but was able to bolster his squad with several usual additions, including Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie, Ciaran Clark and DeAndre Yedlin.

After losing their first two matches of the season, the Magpies cruised through the season. From matchday 12 onwards, they never dropped out of the automatic promotion spots, eventually finishing nine points clear of third. 

Norwich City (2018/19)

Finishing 14th in 2017-18 and losing James Maddison to Leicester in the summer didn’t bode well for the Canaries, who would ordinarily be considered promotion candidates due to their yo-yo pedigree. 

In response to their Maddison sale they made a couple of under-the-radar moves, bringing in Teemu Pukki and Emi Buendia, both of whom were little known. 

Pukki netted 29 times as the Canaries finished 11 points ahead of third-placed Leeds while Buendia finished with 20 goal involvements. 

Such numbers meant Norwich were soon back to featuring prominently in the Premier League relegation odds, their short price compounded by a heavy opening day loss at Anfield. 

And so the yo-yoing continued. 

Nottingham Forest (1997/98)

So abject were Forest the season before, the Premier League betting had them down by March. To their slightest of credits, they held on until April. 

A huge overhaul therefore was demanded, but while many were shipped out to lessen the wage bill, crucially Pierre van Hooijdonk and Kevin Campbell were retained, striking up a partnership up front that inferior defences had no answer to.

Between them, the deadly duo fired 51 goals across the campaign and Forest bounced straight back up at the first time of asking.

From that point on, it all turned horribly sour of course, the Dutch forward going on strike soon after and Campbell needlessly sold. The Tricky Trees were promptly relegated again, this time having to wait 24 years before they returned. 

Norwich City (2003/04)

Norwich were a force to be reckoned with in the 2003-04 season. They ended the campaign eight points ahead of second and 15 clear of third and didn’t drop out of first place from matchday 23 to their trophy lift. 

There were emphatic wins throughout the season, with a 5-0 trouncing of Walsall, four put past Derby and a 4-1 victory attained at home to Cardiff. Such a successful Championship campaign however didn’t prepare the Canaries for the Premier League. 

Norwich were winless in their first 13 matches in 2004-05 and didn’t win their fourth league match of the season until April. By which time, their fate was all but sealed. 

Sunderland (2004/05)

A heart-breaking penalty shootout loss to Crystal Palace in the play-offs seemed to lead to a hangover for Sunderland in 2004-05. Mick McCarthy’s side won just one of their first six, with pressure understandably mounting. 

In a remarkable turnaround though the Black Cats then lost only one of their next 11, their form trending in the right direction for the duration of the season.  

Winning 11 of their last 13 saw Sunderland claim and retain top spot ahead of Wigan and Ipswich.

Their eventual tally of 94 points seemed utterly inconceivable back in September. 

Newcastle United (1992/93)

Kevin Keegan replaced Ossie Ardiles in February of 1992, reinvigorating Newcastle and keeping them in the Second Division on the final day of the season. Keegan remained at the club for 1992-93, carrying that momentum into a magnificent campaign.

Andy Cole and Rob Lee arrived, and Newcastle stormed to promotion. They moved to top of the table at matchday six and never relinquished first place.

The football was textbook Keegan with 92 goals scored from a team that sought to attack at every opportunity. Subsequently, the St James’ Park faithful were treated to several heavy victories throughout the season.

Just 12 months later, the Magpies finished third in the Premier League, with Cole scoring 41 times across all competitions. 

Norwich City (2020/21)

As a perennial yo-yo club, it’s no surprise to see Norwich make multiple appearances on this list and here their 2020/21 vintage was similar in personnel to the side which collected 94 points in 2018-19, with Pukki and Buendia again starring.

Daniel Farke kept his side top of the table from matchday 12, with a nine-match winning run through February and March giving the East Anglian club plenty of breathing space.

Unfortunately, a season later saw an overly-familiar tale. Norwich lost their first six in the Premier League, Farke was replaced by Dean Smith in November and they finished bottom of the table with 22 points.

Never change, Norwich. Actually, do change. 

Bolton Wanderers (1996/97)

Bolton were one of the toughest teams around in 1996/97 and the Trotters gave Burnden Park a fantastic send off to win the second tier title.

In a team well-balanced with seasoned veterans and emerging talents, John McGinlay scored 24 league goals, while Nathan Blake added 20 of his own as Bolton topped the 100 goals mark.

Bolton were minutes away from hitting the 100 points mark too but Tranmere Rovers scored a late equaliser to put a slight dampener on proceedings. 

Portsmouth (2002/03)

The Fratton Park faithful will remember the good old days when Portsmouth were in the Premier League while their 2002/03 season was a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the Championship to get there.

Harry Redknapp meant business and he acted effectively in the transfer window before the season, bringing Tim Sherwood and Yakubu to the south coast.

Meanwhile, Svetoslav Todorov just couldn’t stop scoring. He notched 26 league goals that campaign to fire Portsmouth to a comprehensively-secured crown.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (2017/18)

Wolves were outstanding in 2017/18, leading the way at the top of the Championship table for the majority of the season.

Nuno’s side fell short in their bid to top 100 points as they suffered an embarrassing defeat to already relegated Sunderland on the final day of the campaign.

The likes of Ruben Neves, the most expensive Championship player of all-time, Diogo Jota and Willy Bony were central to Wolves’ success and they are now an established Premier League outfit.

Chelsea (1988/89)

The only 1980s side on this list, Chelsea finished 17 points clear of the field. However, the Blues started slowly, failing to win any of their opening six games of the season.

For the rest of the campaign, Chelsea averaged an astonishing 2.4 points per game. That is the best ratio of any team in Championship history.

Chelsea were fancied for the title after dropping out of the Premier League but the Blues exceeded expectations.

On paper, this side may rank as the best Championship team in terms of pure quality.

Manchester City (2001/02)

Man City yoyoed between the top flight and the second tier for five consecutive seasons but their 99 points haul in 2001/02 ranks as one of the top campaigns in the division.

The Citizens scored 108 league goals – just the 47 more than second-placed West Bromwich Albion.

Kevin Keegan’s side were undoubtedly the Championship entertainers and with an aging Ali Benarbia as ringmaster they were a joy to watch.

To sum up Keegan’s City in a set of results: the Blues won 6-2, 5-2, 4-2, 3-0 and 3-0 but lost 4-0, 4-0 and 4-3 during an eight game stretch early in the campaign.

Fulham (2000/01)

Fulham were unstoppable in 2000/01 as the Cottagers booked their spot in the top flight of English football for the first time since the 1960s.

By Christmas, a team propelled by Louis Saha’s avalanche of goals were 10 points clear of their nearest rivals and had a game in hand. Bluntly, they just looked a class apart.

With five matches remaining, Fulham had secured promotion but they had the magic 100 points total in their sights. A 2-0 win in their 44th match of the season was enough to do just that.

Burnley (2022/23)

Burnley’s decision to hire Vincent Kompany following their relegation in 2022 raised some eyebrows.

Kompany’s approach was quite a change from the Sean Dyche era, but the Clarets were clearly going in a different direction after losing James Tarkowski, Nathan Collins, Nick Pope, Dwight McNeil and Maxwel Cornet.

Money was reinvested into the first-team squad and though Kompany didn’t have the best start, winning just one of their first five league matches, it soon became clear that this was a perfect match.

Either side of the World Cup break, Burnley won 14 of 15 to build an unassailable lead. Promotion was confirmed in early April with a massive advantage built up over a strong Sheffield United side. 

Leicester City (2013/14)

Leicester defied the odds to run away with the Championship title in 2013/14 and though they were later found guilty of breaking Financial Fair Play rules for that season all the signs were positive that they could hold their own in the top-flight the season after. 

Which they did. Just. Staying up by a handful of points.

And then came the fairy tale, a frankly ridiculous title success that made a mockery of all of the Premier League predictions. Made a mockery of us all. 

None of that unforgettable madness would have been possible had new signing Riyad Mahrez not bewitched every Championship full-back he encountered two years prior, as Nigel Pearson’s side ran amok.   

Newcastle United (2009/10)

Having suffered relegation in 2008/09, Newcastle were determined to clinch promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Magpies fans needn’t have worried.

Chris Hughton became the master of rotating the Newcastle squad – and he did it to great effect, using a total of 33 players in Championship fixtures alone.

The Magpies went unbeaten at home for the entire campaign as the likes of Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan and Shola Ameobi showed their class to lead Newcastle to the title.

Sunderland (1998/99) 

‘Cheer up, Peter Reid,’ so the song goes, but the manager with resting glum-face was certainly happy with the team’s output at the turn of the century, the Mackems setting a new points tally for the second tier.

Additionally, the Black Cats reached the League Cup semi-finals, propelled by the prolificacy of Kevin Phillips who was on fire that term, averaging almost a goal per game. 

A solid back-line played its part too, as Sunderland conceded a goal every 147 minutes all season long. 

Reading (2005/06)

Sunderland’s points record didn’t last long as Reading put together a season to remember in 2005/06, accruing a colossal haul of 106 points.

The Royals had a front four consisting of Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle, Shane Long, and Leroy Lita and this sublime attacking quartet – backed up by Steve Sidwell kicking on from midfield – notched just one shy of a century of league goals. 

All told, Steve Coppell’s side lost only two games all season, with one of those coming on the opening day of the campaign. Their exploits have yet to be matched.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

• Harry Maguire is a central defender for Manchester United and England

• Earning a big-money move to Old Trafford in 2019, Maguire’s net worth is thought to be around £24 million

• Read below for more on Maguire’s earnings and his career to date

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Playing for one of the biggest clubs when it comes to betting on football online, Harry Maguire enjoyed a remarkable ascension to the top of the game.

Enduring relegation with Hull in 2016/17, Maguire was an integral player for England by the summer of 2018.

How Much Does Harry Maguire Earn?

Over a year of transfer speculation followed before he completed a record-breaking move to Manchester United. It didn’t take long for Maguire to be named club captain.

Briefly considered one of the best defenders in the world, the Sheffield-born centre-back has been through a turbulent time with the Red Devils. There has been plenty of debate over whether Maguire's availability helps or hinders United's Premier League odds in the short and long-term.

Let’s get to know a bit more about Harry Maguire…

What Is Harry Maguire's Salary?

Harry Maguire has an annual salary of £9.875 million according to Spotrac. This ranks just eighth among Manchester United players with Raphael Varane and Marcus Rashford among the players earning more.

The former Leicester centre-back will also have income from various endorsement deals, which have contributed a net worth in the region of £24 million.

Sitting 32nd in the Premier League weekly wage table, several centre-backs earn even more than Maguire’s £190,000.

John Stones, Virgil van Dijk, and Wesley Fofana are all earning significantly more than Maguire per week.

There’s unlikely to be a change in Maguire’s salary any time soon. He penned a six-year deal when he signed for the Red Devils back in 2019. With that deal running well into his thirties, he won’t be signing another contract of this length.

Harry Maguire Wife

Harry Maguire’s wife is Fern Hawkins. The couple have two children together. Lillie Saint Maguire was born in April 2019. Their second daughter, Piper Rose, was born in May 2020. 

Maguire and Hawkins celebrated their 10-year anniversary in 2021. Having got together when Harry was 18 and Fern was 16, they got engaged during a trip to Paris in 2018. They tied the knot in France in 2022. 

Just like her husband, she grew up in Sheffield. In 2017, she graduated with a first class degree in science and physiotherapy.

Harry Maguire Siblings

Harry Maguire has three siblings. His two brothers, Joe and Laurence, have both been involved with football. Joe played for Tranmere Rovers, while Laurence (the youngest of the three) plays in defence for Chesterfield.

Harry Maguire also has a sister. Daisy Maguire is several years younger than Harry and was allegedly stabbed during the altercation in Mykonos which saw the Manchester United defender get arrested.

Daisy is a talented footballer and has previously played for Handsworth Parramore Ladies and Sheffield United. She has become well known over the last 18 months and has around 40,000 followers on Instagram.

Harry Maguire Meme

Most celebrities have got the meme treatment at some point. Everyone knows what we’re talking about with the Harry Maguire meme.

It has stood the test of time since first exploding onto our Twitter feeds during England’s 2018 World Cup run.

Maguire’s teammates joined in, with Kyle Walker’s efforts among the most notable. Even since 2018, though, the now iconic image of Maguire talking to his fiancée Fern Hawkins has been commonplace on social media platforms.

It went down pretty well too, raking in over 174,000 likes and north of 40,000 retweets.

While that’s the most memorable of Harry Maguire memes, there have been plenty of others over the years.

The England international was on the end of Twitter mockery, in particular, following Manchester United’s 6-1 loss to Tottenham in October 2020.

Harry Maguire Captaincy

Harry Maguire was named Manchester United captain in January 2020. Having signed for the club in August of the previous year, it didn’t take long for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to hand Maguire the armband.

He might not be popular amongst all supporters, but Maguire did fit the mould of a club captain.

Leading by example on the field and among the best players at the club, he followed a long line for commanding centre-backs who have taken on the responsibility of the armband.

Nemanja Vidic and Steve Bruce are two of the best examples in recent Manchester United history.

The signing of Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to boost their chances in outright Premier League predictions. It didn't work out, though, as United had to watch Manchester City enjoy major success under Pep Gardiola.

Injury forced Maguire to sit out his first final as Manchester United captain in 2021. Solskjaer’s team lost to Sevilla on penalties in Gdansk.

Trophies have been hard to come by for Maguire with club and country. He was stripped of the club captaincy by Erik ten Hag prior to the 2023-24 season.

Harry Maguire House

Playing for one of the richest football clubs in the world tends to mean you’ve got a pretty impressive house. Harry Maguire is no exception to the rule.

Those interested have been able to piece together various rooms in the house through social media posts.

Information about Harry Maguire’s house is relatively limited. The location is unknown, though he obviously lives relatively close to Manchester.

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*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*