What are the most famous football derbies in the world?

In some countries, football matches between two clubs from the same city or from two neighboring cities are regularly organized. These meetings full of atmosphere and rivalries. Discover the most exciting derbies and the highlights that marked them.

Immerse yourself in the history of football derbies

Football fans, you can follow the results of Ligue 1 on Sportytrader, but first, discover the detailed history of the greatest football rivalries. Coming from the horse racing world, the term derby was used for the first time in England by the Daily Express newspaper in 1914 to designate a match between the neighboring clubs of Liverpool and Everton. Since this friendly derby, the tradition has continued. Elsewhere, however, real rivalries exist between the teams. Sometimes, it is an opposition between two political worlds, two categories of social classes, and even between two economically rival cities.

The most intense rivalries in the world of football

Here are some of the most memorable derbies, with the origin of their nicknames, their highlights or the atmospheres that marked them.

1 – The Classico: Real Madrid VS FC Barcelona

The “El Clasico” derby, as the locals call it, is certainly the most famous in the world. Its history begins in 1902 with the first meeting between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. Since then, their rivalry has continued to grow. If FC Barcelona is associated with Catalan culture and identity, Real Madrid represents the Spanish capital and nationalism. The result is a “classic” opposition of ideologies, at the origin of the formation of the Le Classico derby. While respect is essential between these teams, matches are often punctuated by tensions, with certain players being aggressive towards those of the opposing team. The meetings are intense, marked by expulsions and red cards. Even today, tensions exist between the two clubs, each seeking to win as many titles as possible.

2 – The North-West Derby: Manchester United VS Liperpool

Since their first meeting at the beginning of the 20^th century, the rivalries between Manchester United and Liverpool have intensified, especially since these two clubs have won the most titles in the history of English football. But above all, the famous “England derby”, also called “The Classic” or “North-West Derby”, demonstrates the dedication of supporters and the players themselves for their respective teams, sometimes through harsh gestures, violence, provocations. Supporters even came to blows. Despite everything, there is a certain mutual respect between these legends of English football.

3 – Revierderby: Borussia Dortmund VS Shalke 04

The Ruhr derby refers to the rivalry between the clubs FC Shalke 04 and BV 09 Borussia Dortmund, who regularly compete in the German Championship. These two groups come from the towns of this industrial region of northern Germany, and their eternal rivalries have intensified over the years. They are fueled by the title races, each club having won several, notably the German Championship for Borussia and the German Football Cup for Shalke 04 for the period 2010-2011.

Sometimes the opposite happens. The two teams are thus competing for the leadership position, fueling rivalries which are also of an economic nature. Indeed, the matches bring in a lot of money – full stadiums, derivative products – and each club seeks to sell the most. The Ruhr derby is, therefore, one of the most intense rivalries in football history.

4 – Derby Della Madonnina: AC Milan VS Inter Milan

The Della Madonnina derby or simply Milanese derby refers to the rivalry between two clubs from the same city, Inter Milan and AC Milan. Since their birth, these clubs have displayed opposition which makes them rival clubs. The current AC Milan was founded in 1899 by an Englishman named Alfred Edwards. However, the Italian football federation decides to ban players of foreign origin from the Italian championship. In response, Italians and Swiss decided to found another club called “Internazionale”, today’s Milan Inter. Subsequently, the rivalry took on an ideological and cultural dimension, with Inter Milan being associated with the bourgeoisie while AC Milan was more attached to the popular class. But this image of rivalry has faded today, the two clubs cohabiting within the same enclosure, the Giuseppe Meazza stadium. AC Milan and Milan Inter have played no less than 238 matches, including 201 in the league, with 334 goals for Milan Inter and 311 for AC Milan.

5 – North London Derby: Arsenal VS Tottenham

Arsenal and Tottenham are two clubs located in the north of the English capital. Their first “friendly” meeting dates back to 1887, and their first championship match was held in December 1909. The rivalry between the two clubs began in 1913 when Arsenal moved to Highburry, very close to the Tottenham stadium, creating a tension marked by distrust. The teams then meet through numerous derbies where each tries to achieve as many victories as possible.

6 – Merseyside derby: Everton FC VS Liverpool FC

Liverpool FC and Everton FC belong to the famous English industrial city. Although their first meeting dates back to 1894, the match organized in October 1914 marks the beginning of the history of derbies. Contrary to popular belief, derbies have not always been associated with rivalries, as demonstrated by the Liverpool VS Everton “friendly derby” which today bears the name The Merseyside Derby. Nevertheless, the friendly matches allowed Liverpool, to the great joy of its fans, to achieve unbeaten records. The “23 derby” is the perfect example. This is a series of matches organized between the 2011-2012 and 2020-2021 seasons.

7 – Manchester derby: Manchester United VS Manchester City

The Manchester derby refers to the meetings between the main clubs of the eponymous city, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Their first match took place in October 1891, but their rivalry did not really begin until 1958. After losing eight players in a plane crash that year, Manchester United were the subject of a benevolent attitude from many people in the country, which has somewhat relegated the “Citizens” to the background.

The rivalry is gaining momentum with the purchase of the current Manchester City by a rich Emirati. After calling City “noisy neighbors”, Alex Ferguson, then president of Manchester United, uttered the following sentence: “Manchester City will be the richest team in the world, but Manchester United will be the best team in the world. world “.

The rivalry has created a real divide within the city’s population, supporters of the “red” on one side (United), and those of the players in light blue jerseys on the other. Until October 2023, the two teams faced each other in no less than 191 derbies.

8 – Old Firm Derby: Celtic FC VS Rangers FC

The Glasgow derby, also called the Old Firm Derby, represents the traditional image of the opposition between two religions. From its beginnings, the Celtic FC club represented Irish Catholicism, while Rangers FC was supported by Protestants. In the 1910s, as Ireland began to assert its independence, rivalries between the two teams began to intensify. After the First World War, Celtic fans decided to carry the Irish flag while Rangers fans waved banners in the colors of the United Kingdom. Provocations and even confrontations between supporters often take place during certain matches.

Emotion on the pitch and in the stands

Football derbies have an undeniable impact on the ranking of teams in their championships. Driven by the feeling of rivalry, players try to outdo each other, with real results on each side. Rivalries are also an opportunity to discover the fans’ devotion to their respective team, sometimes to the point of displaying it aggressively. Numerous incidents on the pitch, such as fights between supporters, have punctuated some famous derbies. In 2006, in particular, the Celtic goalkeeper provoked the ire of Rangers supporters after making the sign of the cross in front of their stand.

For fans of great football moments full of excitement and great games, derbies are matches not to be missed. Discover the secrets of the most iconic football derbies and the unforgettable moments!