Who is the only player to score 50 or more goals in a single La Liga season?

Lionel Messi is the only player to score 50 or more goals in a single La Liga season.

Messi scored 50 league goals for Barcelona in the 2011–12 season, setting the competition’s single-season record. He reached that total in 37 appearances and won the Pichichi Trophy as La Liga’s leading scorer. Barcelona did not win the league that year; Real Madrid finished first, making Messi’s individual achievement even more striking.

The nearest modern challenger was Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 48 goals for Real Madrid in 2014–15. Messi also recorded 46 goals in 2012–13, while historic greats such as Telmo Zarra and Hugo Sánchez produced exceptional totals but never reached 50.

The record refers to league goals only, not goals in all competitions. Messi scored even more for Barcelona across the full 2011–12 campaign, but the quiz’s figure specifically concerns La Liga matches.