The World’s Biggest Soccer Rivalries

Americans love sports, but our biggest cross-town rivalries don’t even come close to what the rivalries in soccer around the world. Here are some of the biggest face-offs to ever go down in the sport.

Boca Juniors and River Plate — Argentina

The “Superclasico” is one of sports’ greatest rivalries, engaging Argentinians as well as soccer fans from around the world. Boca represents the Buenos Aires working class, while River Plate plays for Belgrano, an affluent neighborhood to the north of the city.

Al-Ahly and Zamalek — Egypt

Like many derbies (local rivalries), Al-Ahly versus Zamalek is political in nature. It used be violent, to the point people died and neutral venues with foreign referees became mandatory. More recently; however, the two teams joined forces in the uprising against former president Hosni Mubarek.

Celtics and Rangers — Scotland

Few rivalries are as complex as Glasgow’s, where the teams split on Loyalist versus Republican, British versus Scots-Irish, Conservativism versus Socialism and, most importantly, Catholicism versus Protestantism; though nowadays there’s more overlap between the fans than before.

FK Partizan and Red Star Belgrade — Serbia

The “Eternal Derby” was born in Yugoslavia, originating from two Communist organizations that started out as an athletic competition, before becoming entrenched in a political power struggle between the Ministry of Defence and the Interior Ministry.

Fenerbahce and Galatasaray — Turkey

Few derbies are intercontinental in nature. This one splits Istanbul into the two sides of Turkey: Europe to the east and Asia to the west. The rivalry first began almost a hundred years ago when the city was still called Constantinople. It has since come to represent the country’s division in class, politics and identity.

Barcelona and Real Madrid — Spain

While “El Clásico” has a political history, the rivalry is loved for its sheer amount of talent. Barcelona and Real Madrid are two of the greatest clubs in soccer and have signed some of the greatest players in the game, making their games some of the best in the sport.