20 World Football Derbies and Rival Clashes You Should See Live Once
Going to a football match in person is a truly marvellous experience that can occasionally be taken for granted. Often, folk don't get to see the side they love playing more than once, let alone be lucky enough to have a season ticket or similarly frequent access.
It's not always about going to support your one, lifelong side, though.
Sometimes games around the globe are so renowned, so regularly impressive and appealing or steeped in history that they transcend the idea that only supporters of the teams involved should attend and attract fans of the game itself.
Here are 20 of the biggest clashes and derbies in world football that everybody should aspire to take in at one stadium or another.
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid
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Many of these clashes, of course, have historical significance and involve a long-standing rivalry, but we'll begin with one that is both relevant and regular in modern football: the Madrid derby.
Real are the rich kids, the class above, the most successful and the biggest name; Atletico, the street players and the working class, the side of the underdog.
It's also the fixture of last season's Champions League final, which Real just about clawed back at the death before eventually running out comfortable winners in extra time. Atleti won La Liga, though, and they have already beaten Real in both league play and the Spanish Super Cup this season.
Roma vs. Lazio
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Over in Italy, dwindling attendances over the past few seasons have seen even some of the bigger games played out in front of lesser crowds, but the atmosphere and intensity on the playing field doesn't seem to have diminished.
The capital city derby sees AS Roma take on SS Lazio. They don't just share geographical location, they share a ground, and theirs is widely accepted as the biggest rivalry in Serie A.
Historically, Roma have had the edge in terms of wins in the game, while they also remain just ahead of Lazio in title wins—three to two.
Liverpool vs. Everton
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Liverpool vs. Everton is the Merseyside derby, the closest and biggest rivalry in the north west of England due to the enormous success of both teams, particularly in the 1980s.
Known for some time as the "friendly derby" on account of the numbers of families who share supporters for each side, the clubs are knitted together by tragedy and hardship as much as success and proximity—but any supposed friendliness has all but disappeared in the more recent age of the rivalry.
Liverpool hold the clear lead as the most successful side, but plenty of Everton fans remain steadfast in their belief that the mid-to-late-1980s side would have won more European trophies if not for a ban on English clubs at the time.
Rangers vs. Celtic
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The fixture of Scottish football, Rangers and Celtic are the Glasgow sides that have dominated the football landscape of the country for the past three decades—that's how long it has been since anyone else won the title.
The supporters are beyond passionate, the divides transcend the mere footballing aspect of the game and matches see goals and red cards in almost equal measure.
You'll have to wait until Rangers are back playing at a decent level before seeing this one.
Fluminense vs. Flamengo
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One of the big derby games in Brazil, Flamengo vs. Fluminense—the Fla-Flu derby—takes place in Rio de Janeiro. During the '60s, '70s and '80s, the game attracted crowds well in excess of 100,000—and even beyond 150,000 at times.
Competition in Brazil is staged not only with a national championship but regional ones too, and this duo have long battled for supremacy in that regard, with Flamengo 5-4 up on their rivals for national league championships.
They played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
Milan vs. Juventus
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In Italy, you can have your pick of matches that have a long history and plenty of rivalry, but outside of the local derbies, AC Milan vs. Juventus is perhaps the most romantic and memorable in a football sense.
Two of the biggest names in world football, with a host of title wins and a long list of world-class players throughout their respective histories.
These two met on Saturday in a game that ended 1-0 to Juve, the reigning Serie A title holders.
River Plate vs. Boca Juniors
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South American football is widely appreciated for its vociferous and passionate fanbases as well as impressive football, which tends to act as a feeder for the top players to move to Europe.
Maybe the biggest of all South American clashes is played in Argentina when River Plate and Boca Juniors face off.
The rivalry is enormous, the trophy list extensive. River have won 36 league titles to Boca's 30, with the two teams by far and away the most successful in the country.
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
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There are many clashes and derbies worth seeing in England, as in most countries, but for a more modern big rivalry, Manchester United vs. Manchester City is right up there.
United have dominated domestic football for 20 years and, despite a recent dip, remain one of the biggest-supported sides on the entire planet. City, meanwhile, have shed their plucky-underdog tag by spending as heavily as anyone in world football, winning two league titles and attracting some of the game's biggest talents.
Who knows how long each side will retain their current status? For the time being, it's a big game and is well worth taking in.
Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray
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In Europe, far removed from the likes of the Premier League, the Turkish club rivalry between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray is notorious, at times brutal and always electric.
The duo have won the most titles—both 19—and share another 51 second or third-place finishes between them.
They dominate the game, they have the biggest attendances in the country and boast the most vociferous fans. It's not a clash for the faint-hearted.
Brazil vs. Argentina
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Midway through our list we bring you the only international clash of the 20: Brazil vs. Argentina.
There are many others we could have chosen of course—Netherlands-Germany, England-Scotland, USA-Mexico—but this one brings with it the glamour, the romanticism and the entire expected notion of what international football should be all about.
The names who have graced the game are eternal and we almost had the perfect World Cup final in the summer—except Brazil weren't quite as good as they were supposed to be.
Partizan Belgrade vs. Red Star Belgrade
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Back to club football and sticking in eastern Europe, Partizan Belgrade vs. Red Star Belgrade is the Eternal Derby of Serbia, featuring the sides with the most supporters in games that are notoriously packed with incidents and a highly charged atmosphere.
Red Star—also known as Crvena Zvezda—have the edge in derby victories and league titles, 26 to Partizan's 25, though it is Partizan who hold the early advantage in this season's top flight.
The first derby this season is in mid-October, with Partizan at home.
Ajax vs. Feyenoord
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Another weekend grudge match took place on Sunday, when Ajax defeated Feyenoord 1-0 away from home—though Feyenoord undoubtedly deserved the win themselves, having had the better of the game and chances.
This game, between teams of Amsterdam and Rotterdam, is considered to be the biggest rivalry in Netherlands—de Klassieker—and has, even in recent times, seen spates of violence before or after matches.
That aside, though, it is one of sport's great sights, usually with plenty of homegrown players on each team understanding the need the fans have to win and with great ability to show.
Ajax hold a significant advantage in matches won and in league titles too, with 33 to Feyenoord's 14.
Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
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In Germany, Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund has a historical rivalry as well as being very much the modern battle of the Bundesliga.
Bayern are undoubtedly the bigger and more successful side, while their recent poaching of BVB's top players has only added to the antagonism and feeling between the teams.
Nurnberg are the second most-successful German side with nine titles, ahead of Dortmund with eight, but Dortmund are certainly the better supported and have the bigger global name—as well as being the main challenger to Bayern's supremacy at present.
Liverpool vs. Manchester United
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Back to England now and a Premier League north west derby. Liverpool vs. Manchester United is local enough, with only a half-hour drive separating the two clubs, but more than that it is a clash of cities, styles, success and—even outside football—music and (in years gone by) trade.
It's a massive rivalry that has gone beyond trophy success to mean something more to many, but ultimately, silverware counts.
United have overthrown Liverpool in league titles after a long game of catch up, but the Reds still hold sway in European trophy success.
Porto vs. Benfica
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Europe's top leagues aren't the only ones with matches worth watching, though, and Portugal's battle between Porto and Benfica is not only a massive rival clash, but also one that often decides and settles championships.
Benfica have won 33 league titles to Porto's 27, while both have won two European Cups to date. Benfica's long continental trophy agony was made even more painful by Porto drawing level with their Champions League win in 2004.
Marseille vs. PSG
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The biggest rivalry in France probably comes from the two most-supported clubs, Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite PSG's spending and recent domestic successes, Marseille are the team that have comfortably won more titles between the two, with their 10 titles the joint-highest in the nation. PSG have just four so far, though they look equipped to quickly close the gap at present.
The two biggest cities in the country also house the only two French teams to have won major European trophies.
Rosario Central vs. Newell's Old Boys
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Back to South America now, and outside of Buenos Aires, the biggest rivalry in Argentina is undoubtedly the Rosario derby between Central and Newell's Old Boys.
The two have passionate support from the packed terraces and a history of great players. Central have the slight edge, 47-42, in modern Argentine league-fixture victories.
Newell's, though, lead six to four on national titles, and both have similar expectancies on attendances and in fighting for league positions. They finished within three points of each other in last season's Torneo Final, with Rosario Central four places above their rivals.
Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad
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The battle of Basque country features Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad, which is usually a tremendous tie that takes place amid a backdrop of incredible noise, pride and will to win.
While Real have recently relaxed the policy of only selecting Basque players, Athletic still keep to the ideal of having players from the region in the first team—though that doesn't just mean players born there; it is more to do with a player's footballing education in the region.
Bilbao and Sociedad have enjoyed an additional dimension to their rivalry of late, with both teams battling for Champions League places. Athletic haven't won a major title since 1984, though, while Sociedad's last cup win came in 1987.
Palmeiras vs. Corinthians
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Our final trip outside of Europe sees the Paulista derby in Brazil between Corinthians and Palmeiras take focus.
They are two of the older sides in the game, both having been formed over a century ago, though Palmeiras' centenary year right now looks as though it may end in relegation unless results pick up.
Both can boast a Copa Libertadores title and several Brasileiro wins apiece, Palmeiras just holding the edge in the latter, while Corinthians have won the minor State championship most often, 27 to 22.
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona
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We finish up, of course, with El Clasico, perhaps the most-watched game in the modern era on account of the star names, the accessibility of La Liga and vast sums of money that both teams command and spend.
Whether you're a fan of the home-grown approach and the beautiful game of Barcelona or the all-action, all-conquering Real Madrid, the match always makes for headlines and controversy and is always seen as a decider to one extent or another.
Barcelona's recent dominance at home and abroad has now been eclipsed by Madrid finally winning La Decima—their 10th European title, meaning the ongoing battle for domestic and indeed global supremacy has started all over again.
In the media-driven age of top-class football, it is arguably the game to watch and rightly attracts millions of viewers from all over the world.
