4 Things to Know about the Intense FC Barcelona and Real Madrid Rivalry

Fútbol Club Barcelona, often referred to as FC Barcelona or Barça, is among the oldest and most accomplished professional football clubs in the world. Founded in 1899, it has won a record 76 domestic trophies, including 31 Copa del Rey and 26 La Liga titles. It has also enjoyed success outside of Spain with five UEFA Champions League titles and three FIFA Club World Cups. While the club’s biggest local rival is RCD Espanyol, which plays its home games about 13 kilometers from Barça’s 99,354-seat Camp Nou, FC Barcelona’s most fierce and intense rival is Real Madrid.

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are the two most successful clubs in La Liga history, but they are separated by various cultural and political differences. Below is a look at some of the key moments and things to know about arguably the greatest rivalry in professional football.

Catalonian (Barcelona) vs. Castilian (Real Madrid)

In order to understand the deeply-rooted enmity between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid — and their fans — it’s important to have a sense of the history of Spain and Catalonia, the autonomous region within Spain where Barcelona is located. Catalan culture is distinct from that of Spain, down to the language: Catalan is an entirely separate language from the Castilian Spanish spoken in Madrid and elsewhere in Spain, though both evolved from Latin.

From its inception until about 1975, FC Barcelona was among the sole outlets for Catalan culture. More than 200 years prior, in 1714, the Castilian troops of Phillip V, King of Spain, defeated Catalan troops in the War of the Spanish Succession. Catalan culture gradually eroded in the years to follow, although FC Barcelona players and fans kept it alive.

Spanish attitudes toward Catalonia shifted following the 1975 death of dictator Francisco Franco, who naturally preferred the Castilian Real Madrid over FC Barcelona. During his reign, the Catalan flag was banned from Barça’s stadium and forceful means were employed to ensure there were no signs of Catalan nationalism on the grounds or in the stands.

Today, FC Barcelona fans still shout “Independencia” and proudly raise the Catalan flag when the match clock strikes 17:14 during matches against Real Madrid. The club’s official song, “El Cant Del Barça,” is effectively the region’s second national anthem.

El Clásico

As of late March 2023, Barcelona and Real Madrid have played 287 matches against each other since 1902, including exhibition contests. These games, known as El Clásico, are known for the intense crowds, competitive scores, and individual player rivalries, including most notably Lionel Messi (Barcelona) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Madrid). Ignoring the 34 exhibition matches (of which Barcelona won 20), the two teams couldn’t be any more evenly matched. Barcelona has 100 wins compared to Madrid’s 101 wins, while the clubs have played to a draw 52 times.

Barcelona’s record against Madrid in La Liga competition is 74–77–35. The club has just one fewer goal (298) than Madrid in those 186 matches. Barça has a distinct advantage over Madrid in the Copa del Rey, however, with a record of 16–12–8.

The ElClasico Rivalry Fan Campaign

To further engage fans ahead of a recent El Clásico in March 2023, LaLiga organized a global fan campaign in partnership with BKT and regional broadcasters. The ElClasico Rivalry campaign featured fan events around the world with an online component that encouraged supporters of both clubs to share video and photo content with the hashtag #ElClásicoBarça or #ElClásicoRM.

Fanfest events took place in major cities, including Los Angeles and Mexico City, while El Clásico watch parties were organized in Poland, Brazil, India, Canada, and Ghana, among other countries. Fans could complete challenges to earn points for their respective favorite club. Not surprisingly, the end result was just as competitive as Barcelona and Madrid games, with Barcelona fans earning 7,340 points compared to 7,259 points for Real Madrid.

The Chamartín Scandal

The most controversial El Clásico took place in June 1943, when Madrid defeated Barcelona 11–1 in the second leg of the Cup semifinal at Estadio Chamartín in Madrid. Barcelona won the first leg 3–0 but, according to Eduardo González, a history professor at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid who compiled a study of the rivalry between the two teams, “in the return leg match, [Madrid] laid a real trap for Barcelona with the intervention of the government, and the result was the most lopsided defeat in their history.” This has come to be known as the Chamartín scandal.

Tensions were already high following the first game after Barcelona was fined because its fans booed the opposing players every time they touched the ball. More than 20,000 Madrid fans were ready to return the favor in the second leg, although the match wasn’t at all competitive, allegedly due in part to the director of state security visiting the Barcelona locker room to offer a veiled threat to the players. Barça president Enrique Piñeyro Queralt resigned after the match.