Football’s ‘classic’ rivalries: El Clasico, Der Klassiker, Superclasico & around the world

Ryan Kelly

Football’s ‘classic’ rivalries: El Clasico, Der Klassiker, Superclasico & around the world image

Barcelona versus Real Madrid is El Clasico - but Spain's flagship face-off it is not the only such derby game in the world.

Other countries boast rivalries which are named similarly to La Liga's big game and looked upon as the defining game of the season when it comes to bragging rights and more.

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Goal takes a look at some of the other Clasico games which are contested across the world of football.

'El Clasico' matches around the world

Country / Region Name Teams
Argentina Superclasico Boca Juniors vs River Plate
Brazil Classico dos Milhoes Flamengo vs Vasco da Gama
Brazil Classico Majestoso Sao Paulo vs Corinthians
Canada Canadian Classique Toronto vs Montreal Impact
Chile Super Clasico Colo Colo vs Club Universidade de Chile
Ecuador Clasico del Astillero Barcelona vs Emelec
France Le Classique Paris Saint-Germain vs Marseille
Germany Der Klassiker Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund
Mexico Clasico Capitalino Club America vs UNAM
Mexico Clasico Joven Club America vs Cruz Azul
Mexico Clasico Regiomontano Monterrey vs Tigres
Mexico Clasico Tapatio Chivas vs Atlas
Mexico Super Clasico Club America vs Chivas
Netherlands De Klassieker Feyenoord vs Ajax
Portugal O Classico Benfica vs Porto
South America Superclasico de las Americas Brazil vs Argentina
South America Clasico del Rio de la Plata Argentina vs Uruguay
Central America Clasico centroamericano Costa Rica vs Honduras
Spain El Clasico Barcelona vs Real Madrid
Spain El Otro Clasico Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid
Spain El Viejo Clasico Real Madrid vs Athletic Club
Uruguay Clasico Nacional vs Penarol
U.S.A. California Clasico LA Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes
U.S.A. El Trafico LA Galaxy vs Los Angeles FC

While Spain's Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid is what usually springs to mind first when someone mentions El Clasico, there are many others.

In Argentina, the showdown between Boca Juniors and River Plate is known as the Superclasico and the Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dortmund match in Germany is Der Klassiker.

Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille contest Le Classique in France, while Liga MX in Mexico features a number of Clasicos involving the likes of Chivas, Club America and others.

Portugal's version of El Clasico is O Classico between Benfica and Porto, while in the Netherlands, De Klassieker is the game between Ajax and Feyenoord.

LA Galaxy are involved in two Clasicos in MLS. Their rivalry with San Jose Earthquakes dubbed the California Clasico, while the meeting with Los Angeles FC is known as El Trafico, which is a play on LA traffic.

Copa Libertadores final 2018 Boca vs River

What does El Clasico mean?

El Clasico is a Spanish term which translates to 'The Classic' in English. The term is commonplace in football and many leagues have their own 'classic' derby match.

While many countries use their own language version - Der Klassiker in Germany or Le Classique in France, for example - a number of countries appropriate the term Clasico.

In Saudi Arabia, the main rivalry between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal is promoted as the Saudi Clasico, while Iraq's chief Baghdad derby games are sometimes referred to as Iraqi Clasicos.

Likewise, the Old Indonesia derby is commonly referred to as the Indonesian Superclasico.

Leon Goretzka Jadon Sancho Bayern Dortmund

Other Clasico derby games

While El Clasico (or The Classic) is a popular nickname across the world for the main national football rivalry of many countries, derby matches of similar notoriety have their own nomenclature.

Some notable examples include the Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers in Scotland or the Northwest derby between Manchester United and Liverpool in England.

Other classic derby matches include the Derby della Madonnina between Inter and AC Milan, the Intercontinental derby between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, and Greece's Eternal Derby between Olympiacos versus Panathinaikos.

Ryan Kelly