Top 2 Soccer Rivalries In History

Soccer, just like every other sport, is characterized by rivalries. There are rivalries between teams, rivalries between players, rivalries between managers, amongst others.

Various reasons fuel rivalries, such as the location of teams, the track record of players or managers, or the quality of teams. This article will be taking a look at some of the biggest team rivalries in soccer history.

• Barcelona vs. Real Madrid

This is popularly referred to as the El Clasico, and it is one of the most exciting matches in the world of football. The games between the two Spanish giants attracts a viewership of millions worldwide due to the massive global fanbase of both sides.

There is also a political undertone to these matches because Madrid seems to represent the idea of Spanish nationalism, while Barcelona seems to represent Catalan nationalism. There is also the fact that both clubs have been hosts to legends of the game like Messi, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka, just to mention a few.

• Brazil vs. Argentina

Now, this is a battle between two of the most famous footballing nations, who have produced some of the best stars that the world of football has ever seen.

The divide between both sides has almost no political undertone and is based solely on football. Their first game against one another was in 1914. Since then, the Brazilian team has won 5 World Cups to Argentina’s two.  The fact that Pele and Maradona also hail from Brazil and Argentina, respectively, adds to the rivalry.