Rivalries are the essence of football. The passion that a fan has for his team brings in a sense of respectful disliking for other clubs. And this leads to the creation of fan-made rivalries. Be it the Manchester Derby in England or the Scottish Derby, be it the Brazilian Derby of Boca or the North England Derby the world of football has seen several fruitful rivalries. When clubs that are equally successful and have a legacy associated with them take on each other such rivalries find their inception. The intensity, the energy, the charisma, and the feelings in such matches are supreme. Here’s a look at the top 10 football rivalries in the world: –
10. The SuperClassico: –
- Clubs Involved: – River Plate and Boca Juniors.
- First Game: – 24th August 1913.
- Country: – Brazil.
- Record: – Boca Juniors Lead 89-83-78.
This is one of the most iconic games of South American football. When the Boca Juniors take on River Plate FC it is the battle of the best. The team from La Boca leads this particular rivalry but the fans of River Plate are always behind their team. Be it the home game or the away ones, this game is a must-watch for every football fan!
9. O Classico: –
- Clubs Involved: – FC Porto and Benfica
- First Game: – 28th April, 1918
- Country: – Portugal
- Record: – FC Porto leads 96-88-60
We talk about football and Portugal is bound to be a part of it. These two Portuguese clubs also happen to be two of the most successful clubs in the history of football. FC Porto leads this rivalry but the numbers show that the competition is neck to neck. This contest has witnessed players like Angel Di Maria and Ricardo Quaresma.
8. The Old Firm Derby: –
- Clubs Involved: – Celtic FC and Rangers FC.
- First Game: – 28th May 1888.
- Country: – Scotland
- Record: – Rangers F.C. leads 163-159-99.
This has to be one of the oldest rivalries in world football. The Greens and the Blues always make the contest fun! The passionate fans add to the flavor of this rivalry. The teams are a regular feature in the Champions League and this justifies their capabilities at the domestic level.
7. El Derbi Madrileño (Madrid Derby): –
- Clubs Involved: – Real Madrid Club Football and Athletico de Madrid.
- First Game: – 2nd December 1906.
- Country: – Spain.
- Record: – Real Madrid CF leads 111-56-58.
The numbers of this rivalry do not exactly show the intense contest that happens at the Bernabeu. Real and Athletico both the squads have had the best players in the world. From Luis Suarez going up against Raphael Varane, from Griezmann to Carvajal the rivalry has seen all of these prolific players.
6. The North London Derby: –
- Clubs Involved: – Arsenal F.C. and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
- First Game: – 4th December 1909.
- Country: – England.
- Record: – Arsenal F.C. leads 82-65-53.
This Derby game is always an edge-of-the-seat thriller for the English Football Fans. The clubs are always filled with star players. There was a time when the Invincibles of Arsene Wenger took on these Tottenham boys. The Tottenham lads always give a tough contest to the boys in red. The passionate fans add taste to this legendary rivalry.
5. Der Klassiker
- Clubs Involved: – FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
- First Game: – 16th October 1966.
- Country: – Germany
- Match Record: FC Bayern Munich leads 62-33-33
This game is the most awaited game of the German Domestic season. Although the rivalry is not that old the passion that the fans have makes it stand out. These are two of the most successful German clubs and the player transfers make the contest fun. Lewandowski who was a scouting product of Dortmund now is the strike force for Munich. While Mats Hummels has had his fair share of transfers in between both the clubs.
4. The Manchester Derby
- Clubs Involved: – Manchester United FC and Manchester City FC.
- First Game: – 12th November 1881.
- Country: – England
- Match Record: – Manchester United F.C. leads 76-54-52
There is an unwritten rule in English football that if you play for Man United, you do not play for Man City. This just specifies how passionate and excited the fans are about this contest. The Blues from the Etihad take on the Red Devils from Old Trafford always put up a neck-to-neck contest.
3. The North West Derby
- Clubs Involved: – Manchester United FC and Liverpool FC.
- First Game: – 28th April 1894.
- Country: -England.
- Match Record: – Manchester United F.C. leads 80-67-57
If there is any rivalry in English Football that is close to the Manchester Derby it has to be the North West Derby. This involves both the teams in red and teams which are significantly successful in European Competitions. The contest has seen Paul Scholes take on Gerrard, Ryan Giggs takes on Dejan Lovren. The best contests of world football await every North-Western Derby.
2. Derby Della Madonnina (Milan Derby)
- Clubs Involved: – Inter Milan and AC Milan.
- First Game: -10th January 1909.
- Country: – Italy.
- Match Record: – Inter Milan leads 82-77-67.
The Milan Derby is one of the most awaited games in world football! It has a legacy and the teams have a past behind them. The difference of just 5 games just shows that the contest is always a nail-biting thriller. The teams are always on the top in Serie A and this is just a concise illustration of why the rivalry is so awaited. The Red and Blue jersey colors have imprinted an irreplaceable image in the hearts of the fans.
El Clásico
- Clubs Involved: – Football Club Barcelona and Real Madrid Club Football.
- First Game: – 13th May, 1902
- Country: – Spain.
- Match Record: – Barcelona leads 115-101-62
The El Clasico is the aroma of true football. It is a legendary contest every year. It is the time where every football fan is attached to their seats. The fans are always making sure that the support is full-fledged. From Messi showing the Bernabeu fans his Jersey to Pique celebrating by showing the number 5, Barca has had many sweet moments. And so is the case with Real Madrid. Messi, Ronaldo, Pique, Varane, Ramos, Neymar, Puyol, Zlatan, Ronaldo Sr., Ronaldinho, etc. the number of legends to add to this elite experience is second to none.
