Barcelona Hosts Real Madrid to Break 124-Year Win Stalemate
The two clubs are tied at 106 victories, making Sunday's La Liga fixture decisive for the lead in the oldest major football rivalry.
By Liam Kaminski ·
Barcelona and Real Madrid enter Sunday's La Liga match at Camp Nou level on all-time victories. Both clubs have recorded 106 wins against each other since the rivalry began in 1902. A result on Sunday will end a 124-year deadlock and give one side a permanent advantage in the historical head-to-head record.
The fixture, known as El Clasico, has featured generations of global stars. Past iterations included Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr, Luis Suarez, David Beckham, and Zinedine Zidane. Current squads center on Lamine Yamal and Raphinha for Barcelona, while Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr lead the Real Madrid attack.
Historical context shows how volatile this rivalry remains. On April 23, 2017, Barcelona won 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Casemiro opened the scoring, but Messi equalized within five minutes. Ivan Rakitic put Barcelona ahead before Sergio Ramos was sent off. James Rodriguez leveled in the 85th minute, but Messi scored the final goal to reach his 500th career goal for the club.
Another defining moment occurred on March 10, 2007, at Camp Nou. A 19-year-old Messi scored his first hat-trick in a 3-3 draw. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored twice for Real Madrid, and Sergio Ramos added a third goal. Messi equalized in the first minute of stoppage time to save a point for Barcelona, who finished the season with 76 points, the same total as Real Madrid.
Real Madrid dominated the Galacticos era with a 4-2 home win on April 10, 2005. Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, and Raul scored for the visitors. Michael Owen added a fourth in the 65th minute. Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho scored for Barcelona, but Real Madrid won the league title that season.
The most lopsided recent result was a 6-2 Barcelona victory at the Bernabeu on May 2, 2009. Thierry Henry scored twice, while Messi, Carles Puyol, and Gerard Pique also found the net. Gonzalo Higuain opened the scoring for Real Madrid, and Sergio Ramos added a consolation goal. Barcelona won the league by nine points that year.
The rivalry also extends to cup competitions. On April 20, 2011, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey final 1-0 in extra time. Cristiano Ronaldo headed in a pass from Angel Di Maria to secure the victory. Di Maria was later sent off, but Real Madrid claimed their first trophy under Jose Mourinho and their first domestic cup since 1993.
Source: Al Jazeera
