Clubs: Club Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid CF, FC Schalke 04

UEFA honours
UEFA Champions League: winner 1998, 2000, 2002
UEFA Champions League: leading scorer 1999/2000, 2000/01
UEFA Super Cup: winner 2002
UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2000, 2001, 2002

• After slipping through the net at Club Atlético de Madrid, Raúl was promoted directly from Madrid's C team to the seniors in 1994, scoring his first league goal against Atlético and winning the title at the first attempt.

• Made the first of 102 appearances for Spain in October 1996 and played at three successive FIFA World Cups (scoring in each) and two UEFA European Championships before Luis Aragonés dropped him early in the qualifying campaign for UEFA EURO 2008; usurped Fernando Hierro as La Roja's all-time record marksman, ending his international career with 44 goals.

• A three-time UEFA Champions League winner, he soon established himself as the tournament's record scorer in the modern era, lifting his tally to 71 (73 in UEFA club competition – a record) with the opener in Schalke's 2-1 defeat of FC Internazionale Milano in the quarter-final second leg.

• Surpassed Manuel Sanchis' record number of Liga appearances for Madrid in September 2009, having overtaken Alfredo di Stéfano earlier in the year as the club's all-time top marksman.

• Took his number of Spanish Liga title successes to six with back-to-back triumphs in 2006/07 and 2007/08; was Madrid's top scorer in the latter with 18 goals, a tally he matched in 2008/09.

• After being used mainly as a substitute the following season, he decided to end his 18-year association with the Merengues having scored 323 goals in 741 senior appearances – both club records.

• Joined Schalke on a two-year contract on 28 July 2010 and settled in immediately, scoring with customary regularity, including in both legs of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against FC Internazionale Milano.