Hugo Sanchez – Was a five-time La Liga top scorer and is the third highest ranked foreigner behind Messi and Ronaldo on the league’s all-time top scorers list, with 234 goals in 347 games for Atletico Madrid (1981-1985), Real Madrid (1985-1992) and Rayo Vallecano (1993-1994). The Mexican won five league titles and a Uefa Cup.
Alfredo Di Stefano – A five-time La Liga top scorer and two-time Ballon D’Or winner, who is the fourth highest ranked foreigner in La Liga’s all-time top scorers list with 227 goals in 329 games for Real Madrid (1953-1964). The Argentine won five European Cups and eight league titles with Real and even went on to manage them twice 1982-1984 and 1990-1991.
Samuel Eto’o – The Cameroonian scored 162 goals in 280 games in Spain mostly with Barcelona (2004-2009) making him the fifth highest ranked foreigner in the league’s all-time top scorers list. The two-time league top scorer also won three leagues titles and lifted two Champions League trophies while at the Nou Camp.
Ferenc Puskas – A four-time La Liga top scorer, the sixth foreigner on the all-time highest scorers list in Spain with 156 goals in 180 games for Real Madrid (1958-1966). The Hungarian won three European Cups and five league titles, also finishing a runner-up in the 1954 World Cup with the Magic Magyars.
Johan Cruyff – Won three Ballon D’Ors in 1971, 1973 and 1974, while with Barcelona (1973-1978), where he won one La Liga title as a player. During this time he was also a runner-up at the 1974 World Cup with Holland. He later managed Barca 1988-1996 winning four league titles and the Champions League.
Hristo Stoichkov – A one-time Ballon D’Or winner in 1994 who beat fellow Barcelona star Romario to that honour after Bulgaria made the World Cup semis that year, despite the fact Romario’s Brazil won. Stoichkov was at the Nou Camp over two spells 1990-1995 and 1996-1998, winning five league titles and one Champions League title.
Rivaldo – Won the Ballon D’Or in 1999 despite his native Brazil being between their 1998 World Cup loss and 2002 win. He got this entirely for his performances for Barcelona (1997-2002) with whom he won two La Liga titles. Joint fourth highest scoring foreigner for Barca, level with Eto’o on 130 goals from 235 games.
Ronaldo – Got the second of two Ballon D’Ors while at Real Madrid in 2002, the year he won the World Cup with Brazil. Played for both Barcelona 1996-1997 and Real 2002-2007, but surprisingly only came away with two La Liga titles despite scoring 151 goals in 226 games.
Luis Figo – Won the Ballon D’Or in 2000 between spells with Barcelona 1995-2000 and Real Madrid 2000-2005, betraying Barca at his peak to join their El Clasico rivals. He didn’t do bad out of it, winning two La Liga’s with Barca and two with Real, including the Champions League with the former.
Ronaldinho – Another Brazilian Ballon D’Or winner who got the gong in 2005 for his services to Barcelona 2003-2008 where he won two La Liga titles and lifted one Champions League trophy, before being shipped off by Pep Guardiola for over-partying. After that both their careers took very opposite directions.
