Former Middlesbrough star becomes joint-holder of LaLiga record that Lionel Messi couldn't break

09/16/2024 11:12 AM

A former Premier League striker has equaled a goalscoring record in LaLiga.

Cristhian Stuani, who played for Middlesbrough between 2015 and 2017, came off the bench for Girona and found the net in Sunday’s 4-1 defeat to Barcelona.

While his effort did little to change the final score, it was the 28th time that the Uruguayan star has scored after coming off the bench in the top flight.

In doing so, he has now scored the joint-most goals off the bench in LaLiga history, going level with Julio Salinas who played for both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the 1980s and 1990s.

That tally of 28 off the bench is one more than Lionel Messi managed, with the Argentine managing just 27 in such circumstances.

As well as being known for his exploits in Spain, Stuani will be remembered for his time in England where he played for Middlesbrough.

Signed in the summer of 2015 for a fee of £3million, the Uruguayan forward scored seven goals to help the Teessiders to promotion from the Championship in the 2015/16.

That included the decisive goal in their crucial season-deciding clash with Brighton that saw them pip the Seagulls to automatic promotion with a 1-1 draw.

He’s also fondly remembered with Boro fans for his stunning long-range strike over Sunderland – one of two goals scored at the Stadium Of Light in 2016.

The following season Stuani scored four goals in 23 Premier League matches for Middlesbrough as they suffered relegation back to the EFL.

It was that summer in 2017 when he joined newly-promoted Girona for an undisclosed fee, playing his football for them ever since.

He has also won 50 caps for Uruguay, scoring eight goals and competing in both the 2014 and 2018 World Cup.

Now 37 years of age, Stuani has scored 132 goals in 251 matches for the Spanish side Girona, helping them to consolidate their place in LaLiga before earning them qualification to the Champions League.

Set to face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, Stuani will become the second-oldest outfield debutant in the Champions League at the age of 37 years and 342 days.

That’s second only to Anastasios Mitropoulos (40 years, 109 days) who made a brief substitute appearance for Olympiakos against Rosenborg in December 1997.

Girona will also face both Liverpool and Arsenal in the Champions League league phase as they hope to secure their place in the knockout rounds.

It’s the Spanish side’s first-ever Champions League campaign but having someone as wily as Stuani on the books should help them in the quest.

Girona may have lost Savinho to Manchester City, Aleix Garcia to Bayer Leverkusen, and Artem Dovbyk to Roma, as they attempt to repeat last season’s success.

They also lost loanees Yan Couto, Pablo Torre, and Eric Garcia.

But they have signed a number of talents including Abel Ruiz, Yaser Asprilla, and Donny van de Beek, while also loaning in Bryan Gil from Tottenham.