Football is more than just a game; it’s a story of passion, loyalty, and fierce competition. It all comes down to the epic football rivalries that light up the stadium, split up the city, and enthrall fans across the globe. These rivalries extend beyond the field of play, also encompassing generations of history, pride, and unforgettable experiences.

Here’s a closer look at some of the most iconic football rivalries and the matches that defined them.

1. El Clásico: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona

The Rivalry

El Clásico is undoubtedly one of the best-known rivals in world football. The fixture carries a large-scale political connotation, as Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain and Barcelona is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The two clubs are often identified with opposing political positions, with Real Madrid viewed as representing Spanish nationalism and Barcelona viewed as representing Catalan nationalism.

Real Madrid leads in head-to-head results in official competitive matches with 105 wins to Barcelona’s 102 with 52 draws as of the match played on 12 January 2025. Along with Athletic Bilbao, they are the only clubs in La Liga to have never been relegated.

Defining Match: Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid (2010)

Barca opened the scoring during that match in less than 10 minutes. Iniesta threaded a pass to an unmarked Xavi, who caught the ball on his heel and then chipped it over Iker Casillas in goal. The second came after more than a minute of possession and was finished by Pedro. Seventeen minutes gone and Barca was 2-0 up.

Then came the third, a perfect through ball from Lionel Messi to David Villa, and within two minutes the fourth. In the 91st minute, Barcelona made it five and, with it, a record-equaling scoreline – the ‘manita,’ Barcelona’s biggest winning margin over Real Madrid since 1994, also a 5-0 victory, inflicted by a Johann Cruyff side packed with worldly talents such as Romario, Stoichkov and Pep Guardiola.

2. The Old Firm Derby: Celtic vs. Rangers

The Rivalry

The Old Firm is a collective name for the Scottish football clubs Celtic and Rangers, which are both based in Glasgow. The two clubs are the most successful and popular in Scotland, and the rivalry between them has become deeply embedded in Scottish culture. Celtic and Rangers have played each other 444 times in major competitions; both clubs have won 170 matches and 104 ended in a draw.

 Rangers’ traditional support was largely from the Protestant community, and for decades the club had an unwritten rule whereby they would not knowingly sign a player of the Catholic faith. Celtic’s support was largely from those of Irish Roman Catholic backgrounds and while the club practiced no exclusion of Protestants and signed many of them to play for the team.

Defining Match: Rangers 3-2 Celtic (2002)

The 2002 Scottish Cup Final was played on 4 May 2002 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 117th Scottish Cup. Celtic and Rangers contested the match, Rangers won the match 3–2, thanks to Peter Løvenkrands’s last-minute goal.

3. Derby della Madonnina: AC Milan vs. Inter Milan

The Rivalry

The Derby della Madonnina (named after the Madonnina statue on top of the Milan Cathedral), also known as the Derby di Milano, is a derby football match between the two prominent Milanese clubs, Inter Milan and AC Milan. Inter Milan was seen as the club of the Milan bourgeoisie, whereas Milan was supported mainly by the working class.

 It is one of the only major crosstown derbies in association football that are always played in the same stadium, in this case the San Siro, as both Inter and Milan call San Siro “home”. Though both clubs share this stadium, Inter ultras traditionally occupy the stadium’s northern end (Curva Nord) while Milan ultras occupy the southern end (Curva Sud).

Defining Match: AC Milan 6-0 Inter Milan (2001)

On one of the most unbalanced scores in the history of the rivalry, in this match, AC Milan defeated their city rivals shamelessly. Andriy Shevchenko and Gianni Comandini went on a rampage, making the game an unforgettable episode of Derby della Madonnina history.

4. The North West Derby: Liverpool vs. Manchester United

The Rivalry

The Liverpool F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry, sometimes referred to as the Northwest Derby, is a high-profile inter-city rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United. It is considered one of the biggest fixtures in English football and one of the biggest and fiercest rivalries in world football.

The cities of Liverpool and Manchester are located in the northwest of England, 56 km apart. Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a consistent rivalry between the two cities based on economic and industrial competition. Manchester through to the 18th century was the far more populous city and was considered representative of the north. By the late 18th century, Liverpool had grown as a major seaport critical to the growth and success of the northern cotton mills.

Defining Match: Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool (1999 FA Cup)

This game typified the intensity of the rivalry. Despite Liverpool taking an early lead, Manchester United mounted a late comeback with Dwight Yorke and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scoring in quick succession. The Red Devils continued to clinch their legendary treble in the same year, making this a crucial match event in their history.

5. Boca Juniors vs. River Plate: The Superclásico

The Rivalry

Superclásico is the football match in Argentina between Buenos Aires rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate. It derives from the Spanish usage of “clásico” to mean derby, with the prefix “super” used as the two clubs are the most popular and successful clubs in Argentine football.

The two clubs Boca and River Plate both have origins in La Boca, the working class dockland area of Buenos Aires, with River being founded in 1901 and Boca in 1905. River, however, moved to the affluent district of Núñez in the north of the city in 1925. Since then, Boca Juniors has been known as the club of Argentina’s working class or the people’s club, with many Boca fans coming from the local Italian immigrant community. 

Defining Match: Copa Libertadores Final, Second Leg (2018)

The finals were contested in a two-legged home-and-away format between Argentine clubs Boca Juniors and River Plate, making it the first Superclásico final of an international competition. The second leg was originally to be hosted by River Plate at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 24 November 2018. However, due to safety concerns arising from an attack on the Boca Juniors team bus prior to the match, the second leg was moved outside of Argentina and South America, later confirmed to be the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

River Plate won the final 5–3 on aggregate for their fourth Copa Libertadores title. Due to the intense rivalry between Boca and River, the match was referred to as the “Superfinal”, and “the final to end all finals”. The press called it the “most important final in Argentina’s football history”.

6. Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich: Der Klassiker

The Rivalry

Der Klassiker in German (The Classic), also known as the “German Clásico”,is the name given to any football match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. They are two of the most successful teams in German football, having won a combined total of 26 of the past 31 Bundesliga titles as of the 2023–24 season. The two teams fought closely for the Bundesliga title in the early 2010s.

Defining Match: Borussia Dortmund 5-2 Bayern Munich (2012 DFB-Pokal Final)

BVB’s first attack of the game just three minutes in carved open Bayern’s defence, which left a gaping hole for the late run of Shinja Kagawa. The midfielder was picked out by Jakub Blaszczykowski, under challenge from Manuel Neuer, and fired into a mostly empty net from sixteen yards.  Arjen Robben blasted home a penalty to level the score, and it looked like Bayern were back in the game.

 A bizarre tackle by Jerome Boateng gave BVB a penalty, which Mats Hummels converted, and then just minutes later Shinji Kagawa played a brilliant pass to Robert Lewandowski to set him free to score Dortmund’s third.  Dortmund continued to run riot, breaking at pace against an overwhelmed back line and scoring through Lewandowski again. Although Franck Ribery made the score a little more respectable with a very nice left-footed shot in the 75th minute, it was BVB who had the last laugh when Neuer lost control of a simple through pass, giving the ball straight to Blaszczykowski for a simple chip to hand Lewandowski his hattrick. The match would finish 5-2

7. Brazil vs. Argentina: The Battle of South America

The Rivalry

The games between the two nations are known for both the high degree of skill and capability of the respective players, and also a high level competitiveness at a personal, federation and national level.The two teams are routinely considered to be among the best in the world It has been a meeting of footballing greats, featuring legends such as Pelé, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar Jr.

In head to head comparison of senior titles, Brazil has won five FIFA World Cups while Argentina has won three. In contrast Argentina has won the Copa América sixteen times against nine of Brazil.

Defining Match: Copa América Final (2021)

Argentina’s 1-0 victory in the 2021 Copa América Final with Ángel Di María’s goal finally extinguished 28 years of trophy drought for La Albiceleste. The game was a show of Messi’s leadership and of the passion, intensity, and excitement of this classic grudge match.

What Makes These Football Rivalries Special?

Football rivalries are more than just competitive fixtures. They reflect cultural identities, historical grudges, and pure emotion. Matches that produce those matches determine clubs, players, and fans, creating unforgettable experiences for generations to come.

Whilst football will continue to exist, so too will these rivalries enthrall us, offering more than just the beautiful game spectacle.

What’s your favorite football rivalry? Share your thoughts in the comments below and let the debate begin!