Rabat – When Barcelona and Real Madrid meet on Sunday, at Spotify Camp Nou, they will renew a rivalry that began 124 years ago, when neither club could have imagined how much their encounters would eventually mean to football.
Their first meeting took place on May 13, 1902, during the Copa de la Coronacion, a tournament organized to celebrate the coronation of King Alfonso XIII.
Barcelona defeated Madrid FC, which had yet to receive its royal title, 3-1 at Madrid’s La Castellana horse-racing grounds.
According to Barcelona’s historical account, German forward Udo Steinberg scored twice before Henry Morris added a penalty.
But the bitterness associated with El Clasico did not begin that afternoon.
The relationship deteriorated during the 1916 Copa del Rey semifinals, when a series of four matches ended in controversy over refereeing decisions.
Barcelona protested a disputed goal in the final encounter and left the pitch before full time. Madrid advanced, but the hostility between the clubs had taken roots.
When Spain established La Liga in 1929, their encounters became more frequent. Real Madrid won their first league meeting 2-1, although Barcelona claimed the inaugural championship.
The rivalry also developed a cultural dimension over the years. Barcelona’s ties to Catalan identity and Real Madrid’s roots in the Spanish capital became part of the history surrounding their encounters.
The disputed transfer of Alfredo Di Stéfano in 1953 further intensified the rivalry when the Argentine eventually joined Real Madrid despite Barcelona’s attempts to sign him.
Decades later, Johan Cruyff, Luis Figo, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo helped introduce El Clasico to successive generations of supporters around the world.
Despite more than a century of competition, neither club currently holds the advantage in overall El Clasico victories.
According to La Liga’s official statistics, Barcelona and Real Madrid have each won 106 of their 264 meetings, with 52 matches ending in draws. Real Madrid hold a narrow lead in league encounters, with 80 wins to Barcelona’s 77, while Barcelona have the better record in Copa del Rey clashes, with 17 victories against Madrid’s 13.
On Sunday, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona and José Mourinho’s Real Madrid will write another chapter at Camp Nou. The players and coaches have changed countless times, but the rivalry has never lost its place in Spanish football.
