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LALIGA

The origins of the Pichichi Trophy: LaLiga’s top goalscorer

Here is some background to the title that sometimes takes as many news headlines as the league itself. A prized individual trophy for strikers.

13 MAYO 03LA FOTO DE PICHICHI EN LA INAUGURACION DEL MUSEO ATHLETIC CLUB DE BILBAO SITO EN SAN MAMES FOTO COLROEADA 
PUBLICADA 04/10/03 NA MA230 1COL
AITOR MARTINDiarioAS

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo left a goal-scoring void in the Spanish league. Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema and now Barcelona new-boy Robert Lewandowski are here to fill it. There are others, of course, that could also compete for the title of LaLiga’s top goalscorer across a full season, for which they will receive the Pichichi Trophy. How much do you know about it?

Pichichi: where does the name come from?

First, let’s have a little look at the trophy itself. Known as the Pichichi, it is handed out to the top scorer in league matches at the end of each season and has been running for over 60 years. It is named after a Basque player, Rafael Moreno Aranzadi, who played for Athletic Club de Bilbao from 1911 to 1921 and knew more than most of his era how to find the back of the net. It should be noted that the national league that exists today, LaLiga, began after he retired (1929) so his goal scoring feats were seen in the Copa del Rey and in the Northern and Viscayan league, as well as in international games for Spain. But this doesn’t detract from his achievements.

He played 89 games in the Copa scoring 77 goals and these helped get his team to six finals, four of which they won. The famous San Mames stadium (built in 2013 and the oldest in Spain prior to its destruction and rebuilding in the last few years) saw its first goal from “Pichichi”.

In total the tiny forward - at 153cm/5 feet and 58kg/8 stone he would have been noticeably smaller than Messi today and remember that he played long before the tackle from behind rule and other measures to protect skillful players were introduced - scored 200 goals in 170 matches but his career and life came to a sudden end before he reached the age of 30. He retired from football at 27 after much criticism in his last couple of years at Bilbao. A year later he was diagnosed with the bacterial infection typhus and died soon after. A statue was erected in his honour at the stadium and three decades later the trophy was born.

“But that still doesn’t tell us where “Pichichi” came from,” I hear you cry. Well, it’s quite simple. When Rafael used to play on the streets of his hometown his friends would call him that. The word means, “little duck”.

Pichichi all the winners:

  • 2021-2022 Karim Benzema - Real Madrid 27
  • 2020-2021 Lionel Messi - Barcelona 30
  • 2019-2020 Lionel Messi - Barcelona 25
  • 2018-2019 Lionel Messi - Barcelona 36
  • 2017-2018 Lionel Messi - Barcelona 34
  • 2016-2017 Lionel Messi - Barcelona 37
  • 2015-2016 Luis Suárez - Barcelona 40
  • 2014-2015 Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid 48
  • 2013-2014 Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid 31
  • 2012-2013 Lionel Messi – Barcelona 46
  • 2011-2012 Lionel Messi – Barcelona 50 | The highest in the trophy’s history
  • 2010-2011 Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid 41
  • 2009–10 Lionel Messi – Barcelona 34
  • 2008–09 Diego Forlán – Atletico Madrid 32
  • 2007–08 Dani Güiza – Mallorca 27
  • 2006–07 Ruud van Nistelrooy – Real Madrid 25
  • 2005–06 Samuel Eto’o – Barcelona 26
  • 2004–05 Diego Forlán – Villarreal 25
  • 2003–04 Ronaldo – Real Madrid 24
  • 2002–03 Roy Makaay – Deportivo La Coruna 29
  • 2001–02 Diego Tristán – Deportivo La Coruna 21
  • 2000–01 Raúl – Real Madrid 24
  • 1999–00 Salva Ballesta – Racing de Santander 27
  • 1998–99 Raúl – Real Madrid 25
  • 1997-98 Christian Vieri – Atletico Madrid 24
  • 1996-97 Ronaldo – Barcelona 34
  • 1995-96 Juan Antonio Pizzi – Tenerife 31
  • 1994-95 Iván Zamorano – Real Madrid 28
  • 1993-94 Romário – Barcelona 30
  • 1992-93 Bebeto – Deportivo La Coruna 29
  • 1991-92 Manolo – Atlético Madrid 27
  • 1990-91 Emilio Butragueño – Real Madrid 19
  • 1989-90 Hugo Sánchez – Real Madrid 38
  • 1988-89 Baltazar – Atlético Madrid 35
  • 1987-88 Hugo Sánchez – Real Madrid 29
  • 1986-87 Hugo Sánchez – Real Madrid 34
  • 1985-86 Hugo Sánchez – Real Madrid 22
  • 1984-85 Hugo Sánchez – Atletico Madrid 19
  • 1983-84 Jorge da Silva – Real Valladolid 17, Juanito – Real Madrid 17
  • 1982-83 Poli Rincón – Real Betis 20
  • 1981-82 Quini – Barcelona 26
  • 1980-81 Quini – Barcelona 20
  • 1979-80 Quini – Sporting Gijon 24
  • 1978-79 Hans Krankl – Barcelona 29
  • 1977-78 Mario Kempes – Valencia 28
  • 1976-77 Mario Kempes – Valencia 24
  • 1975-76 Quini – Sporting Gijon 18
  • 1974-75 Carlos – Athletic Bilbao 19
  • 1973-74 Quini – Real Gijón 20
  • 1972-73 Marianín – Real Oviedo 19
  • 1971-72 Enrique Porta – Granada 20
  • 1970-71 José Eulogio Gárate – Atletico Madrid 17, Carles Rexach – Barcelona 17
  • 1969-70 Amancio – Real Madrid 16, Luis Aragonés – Atlético Madrid 16, José Eulogio Gárate – Atletico Madrid 16
  • 1968-69 Amancio – Real Madrid 14, José Eulogio Gárate – Atletico Madrid 14
  • 1967-68 Fidel Uriarte – Atlético Bilbao 22
  • 1966-67 Waldo – Valencia 241965-66 Vavá – Elche 19
  • 1964-65 Cayetano Ré – Barcelona 25
  • 1963-64 Ferenc Puskás – Real Madrid 20
  • 1962-63 Ferenc Puskás – Real Madrid 26
  • 1961-62 Juan Seminario – Real Zaragoza 25
  • 1960-61 Ferenc Puskás – Real Madrid 27
  • 1959-60 Ferenc Puskás – Real Madrid 26
  • 1958-59 Alfredo di Stéfano – Real Madrid 23
  • 1957-58 Manuel Badenes – Real Valladolid 19 , Alfredo di Stéfano – Real Madrid 19, Ricardo – Valencia 19
  • 1956-57 Alfredo di Stéfano – Real Madrid 31
  • 1955-56 Alfredo di Stéfano – Real Madrid 24
  • 1954-55 Juan Arza – Sevilla 28
  • 1953-54 Alfredo di Stéfano – Real Madrid 27
  • 1952-53 Telmo Zarra – Athletic Bilbao 24
  • 1951-52 Pahiño – Real Madrid 28
  • 1950-51 Telmo Zarra – Atlético Bilbao 38
  • 1949-50 Telmo Zarra – Athletic Bilbao 25
  • 1948-49 César – Barcelona 28
  • 1947-48 Pahiño – Celta de Vigo 23
  • 1946-47 Telmo Zarra – Athletic Bilbao 34
  • 1945-46 Telmo Zarra – Athletic Bilbao 24
  • 1944-45 Telmo Zarra – Athletic Bilbao 19
  • 1943-44 Mundo – Valencia 27
  • 1942-43 Mariano Martín – Barcelona 32
  • 1941-42 Mundo – Valencia 27
  • 1940-41 Pruden – Atlético Aviación 30
  • 1939-40 Víctor Unamuno – Athletic Bilbao 26
  • 1935-36 Isidro Lángara – Oviedo CF 27
  • 1934–35 Isidro Lángara – Oviedo CF 26
  • 1933–34 Isidro Lángara – Oviedo CF 27
  • 1932–33 Manuel Olivares – Madrid CF 16
  • 1931–32 Guillermo Gorostiza – Athletic Bilbao 12
  • 1930–31 Bata – Athletic Bilbao 27
  • 1929–30 Guillermo Gorostiza – Athletic Bilbao 19
  • 1928–29 Paco Bienzobas – Real Sociedad 14