Updated on: September 25, 2024 / 03:53 PM

The Ultimate Guide to El Clasico: History, Memorable Games and Where to Watch

Two clubs have won 12 of the last 24 editions of the Champions League, considered titans of the modern game and have a rivalry steeped in tradition which has been formed over the tumultuous course of Spain’s modern history. Barcelona vs Real Madrid, El Clásico. A fixture that occurs at least twice a season, and draws 650 million eyes everytime the blaugrana (blue and dark red) face off against los blancos (the whites). When those two sets of colors are mentioned, there is no mistaking who it is in reference to. Spain’s two most populous cities have been called home by some of football’s most sensational stars for generations, and whenever the two meet, it provides the grandest of stages that can often make or break a player’s career.

Upcoming El Clásicos:

History Behind the Hatred

Apart from being the two most dominant teams in Spanish history, Real Madrid and Barcelona are opposed to one another in virtually every other way possible. ‘Real’ is Spanish for ‘royal’, a title granted to the club by the then King of Spain, making los blancos a symbol of Madrid’s cultural significance as the hub of Spanish identity. Meanwhile, Barcelona have long been proud of their Catalan roots, with many important figures at the club vocal supporters of Catalonian independence, in staunch opposition to Spanish centralism. This distinction in political identity is arguably at the root of the rivalry, as it had a direct impact on the modern formation and structure of these two clubs.

Both sides had been successful in the early 20th century, but the outbreak of the Spanish Civil war halted all football activities, and left much of the country in ruin. In the fallout of the war, the new Spanish government sought to limit all reference to separatist movements, in particular banning the Catalan language and flag, effectively muzzling Barcelona. Real Madrid were building back better in the meantime, led by Santiago Bernabéu, who brought the team to new heights with their European success, built largely on the back of international stars such as Ferenc Puskás, Raymond Kopa, and most importantly Alfredo Di Stéfano. The Argentine-born ‘blonde arrow’ had originally agreed to join Barcelona, but Real Madrid managed to earn the right to have Di Stéfano play for them for two seasons before joining up with Barça. The Catalans consequently sold their half-share in the player, to the outrage of many supporters, as Di Stéfano went on to win innumerable trophies with Real Madrid, and set them apart as a European powerhouse, a symbol of Spanish pride and dominance abroad.

Barcelona remained fairly dominant domestically, which earned them the chance to sign global superstars later in the 20th century including the likes of Diego Maradona, Ronaldo Nazario, Gary Lineker, Hristo Stoichkov, and most significantly Johan Cruyff. A world record transfer and a global superstar, the Amsterdam-native helped end a 14 year long title drought at the club, while embracing Catalonian tradition, proudly flaunting that he rejected Real Madrid because of their ties to Francisco Franco. This proved their face-offs with los merengues were about far more than simply determining the best team in Spain. However, Cruyff’s most important contribution to Barcelona came as a coach, bringing an attacking brand of football to a fairly uninspired side, leaning into their identity as a Catalan club, culminating in their first Champions League win in 1992. In that triumphant side was a certain Pep Guardiola, who has credited Cruyff as his biggest influence in terms of footballing ideology, and also for shaping the club into a major player on the European stage.

The rest of the 1990s saw Real Madrid as the more successful side, capped off by Florentino Perez winning the presidential elections on the promise of a big-money signing every summer, better known as the ‘Galacticos’ project. This was a stark contrast to the Barcelona team of the early 2000s, which had a core of players raised in La Masia (Puyol, Xavi, Valdez, Iniesta), a farmhouse they converted to their academy which had become a symbol of the club’s humble roots in Catalan culture. Barça still had their fair share of superstars, such as Deco, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, but it would ultimately be an academy graduate who took the club by storm.

The Ronaldo vs Messi Era

Though far from being Catalan, Lionel Messi, and his subsequent duel with Real’s galactico-in-chief Cristiano Ronaldo would define an era, not just of El Clásico, but of football as a whole. El Clásico was merely the stage upon which the two finest players of their generation, and possibly of all time, could go toe to toe in a match that always assured a spectacle. In some ways, these two players epitomize the opposing images of their respective clubs. The humble, tactically and technically astute Messi compared with the boisterous, athletic specimen that is Ronaldo summarizes the difference in philosophy between Real 'Galacticos’ and Barcelona’s homegrown talent, forged by over a century of fierce rivalry.

Shortly after the Ronaldo-Messi era began in 2009, their managers’ personalities were similarly at odds, as for two seasons the battle on the sidelines was fought by José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. These high stakes brought unprecedented viewership, driving up the pressure to perform, as the match could often determine the outcome of an entire season for the fans. This manifested on the pitch, often in the form of dirty play or violence-there was no love lost between the two.

El Clásicos we never forget

The Ronaldo vs Messi era has unquestionably provided the most entertaining El Clásicos, which we’ve narrowed down to a top 4:

Champions League Semi-Final (2011): Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona

Perhaps the most consequential of the Mourinho-Guardiola showdowns, a Pepe red card put los blancos in a bad spot an hour in. Messi duly punished the home side with a brace, his second goal became a thing of legend, carving up a fine Real side before slotting it past Casillas.

Copa del Rey Final (2014): Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona

Record signing Gareth Bale wills his team to a late win, scorching Barcelona’s scorer Marc Bartra in the 85th minute. Without Ronaldo in the lineup, Real triumph in the competition that the Catalan side has historically dominated.

La Liga (2016/17): Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona

A back and forth game at the Santiago Bernabéu with 4 lead changes and title implications. A Sergio Ramos red card and a late Messi winner which he celebrated by holding up his jersey as a means of taunting the home crowd.

What’s not to love? Barça won the battle, but lost the war as Real lifted the La Liga title that May.

Supercopa de España (2017): Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid

After their second consecutive Champions League win, Zidane’s Real Madrid put on a clinic at the Camp Nou. Ronaldo and Asensio scored screamers in this match, with the former repaying Messi’s gesture at the Bernabéu earlier that year. Though Ronny’s celebration ended up causing him to be sent off, he had the last laugh that year en route to a third consecutive European crown.

Head-to-Head & Other Stats

Real Madrid have got the better of Barcelona 105 times, while the blaugrana have 100 wins of their own, and the two have split the spoils on 52 occasions. Lionel Messi stands alone as the top scorer in the history of the fixture with 26, while Ronaldo and Di Stéfano sit behind him tied on 18 apiece. Messi also has the most assists with 14, on a planet of his own in that regard. Sergio Ramos earned the distinction of having the most yellow and red cards in the fixture’s history, with 22 and 5 respectively. Ramos has also been on the losing side 20 times, the most of any other player, while his compatriot Sergio Busquets has made the most appearances (48) and won a record 23 Clásicos. Miguel Muñoz is the manager with the most wins at 16, followed by Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti who are all on 9.

Where to Watch El Clásico on TV & Stream

You can catch the first El Clásico of the season on October 26th at 3pm EST. It will be played at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, and can be streamed exclusively on ESPN+, with plans starting at $10.99/month.

Author: Venuse, Inc.