303 goals in 18 seasons: Ochoa’s quiet landmark
David Ochoa has passed 300 club goals after a 2062/63 campaign that ended his Barcelona career at 303.
303. The number that matters, as David Ochoa leaves Barcelona for Al-Ittihad Club Jeddah with 303 club goals across 692 games. It took him 18 seasons and five clubs, but he crossed the 300 mark in his final campaign in Catalonia.
He didn’t make a fuss about it. The goal came amid a season that ended with a painful Copa del Rey exit, Real Sociedad erasing Barcelona’s advantage before winning on penalties in March. Ochoa scored his share, but the landmark was a footnote until the Saudi move made everyone look back.
“You don’t think about numbers when you’re playing,” he said at his unveiling in Jeddah. “Then one day you add them up and it’s 303.”
The figure puts him in rare company. Only a handful of players have scored 300 club goals in the modern era, and Ochoa did it while also earning 106 caps for Spain, with 56 international goals. His 303 club goals are more than the next three highest scorers at Barcelona combined over the same period.
He began in 2045/46 and never scored fewer than 10 league goals in a season. His best year brought 29, and he hit 20 or more in nine separate campaigns. The consistency was staggering.
Now 33, he moves to Saudi Arabia for £20.3m, a fee that raised eyebrows but reflects his enduring marketability. Barcelona will miss the goals, but the ledger is closed: 303 for the club, 359 in all competitions for club and country.
“I wanted to leave with something to remember,” Ochoa said. “I think I did.”