“El Clásico” has seen over 250 fixtures and is historically a close, hard-fought rivalry, with Real Madrid winning 106 and Barcelona winning 105. These footballing giants have produced and acquired many of the world’s greatest players, and when these stars collide, the results are often unforgettable. Below we count down some of this famous fixture’s most iconic - and controversial - moments.

10 – Seeing Double

Barcelona 2-2 Real Madrid, 7 October 2012
You cannot discuss the history of El Clásico without mentioning perhaps the two greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two lit up many Clásicos, and this 2012 thriller saw them at their scintillating best. Both players scored twice on the day, with the honours even after 90 minutes. Ronaldo opened with a clinical left-footed finish, but the moment of the match was Messi’s second, a picture-perfect free kick from 25 yards out.

9 – From Birmingham to the Bernabéu …

Real Madrid 3-2 Barcelona, 21 April 2024
The most recent moment on this list comes from one of England’s recent exports to Los Blancos. Jude Bellingham joined Madrid in 2023 and immediately hit the ground running, scoring twice in his first match against Barcelona in a 2-1 victory. However, Bellingham made himself a true Madrid hero in his first Clásico at the Bernabéu. With the game tied at 2-2, Bellingham pounced on a cross, firing home in stoppage-time to give Madrid the win. Los Blancos would go on to win La Liga, with this win providing them a comfortable buffer over their rivals.

8 – La Manita

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid, 8 January 1994
El Clásico is traditionally a very tight fixture, so five-goal victories are a true rarity.  Such games are dubbed “La Manita”, meaning “little hand” in Spanish, and come only every so often. One example occurred in 1994, when a Barcelona side managed by Johan Cruyff thrashed their rivals in stunning style. Romário was a hat-trick hero on the day, and Ronald Koeman scored a beautiful free kick to give Barcelona a famous victory.

7 – Mourinho’s Baptism of Fire

Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid, 29 November 2010
The early 2010s were an unforgettable period in this fixture’s history, with two of football’s greatest managers doing battle across the dugout. Pep Guardiola took Barcelona to unprecedented heights and Jose Mourinho laid the foundations for a Madrid side which was the dominant force in European football for over a decade. However, the Portuguese manager’s first El Clásico was a disaster. Guardiola’s “tiki-taka” helped Barcelona dominate possession en route to another “Manita”, with Lionel Messi and David Villa combining for two brilliant goals. This was a rare low for the “Special One”.

6 – Cristiano says Calma

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid, 21 April 2012
Another classic from the Guardiola-Mourinho and Messi-Ronaldo rivalry, this La Liga tie gave us an iconic celebration from Ronaldo. With the game level in the second half, the Portuguese forward sprinted on to a perfect pass from Mesut Özil and fired a low finish past Victor Valdes to put Madrid a goal up. Ronaldo held out his hand to the Camp Nou crowd, hushing the rival fans and telling his team-mates not to panic. Madrid won the game and would go on to lift the league title.

5 – Respect for Ronaldinho

Real Madrid 0-3 Barcelona, 19 November 2005
In a contest as fierce as El Clásico, rival fans and players typically don’t have the friendliest of relationships. However, sometimes a player does something so special you can’t help but applaud. In a La Liga match at the Bernabéu back in 2005, Barcelona put on a masterclass, with Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho putting the visitors two goals ahead. However, in the 77th minute, it was the Brazilian again who scored a brilliant solo goal, beating defenders and calmly finishing to put his side 3-0 up. The Bernabéu could only sit back and enjoy, giving Ronaldinho a well-earned standing ovation.

4 – Ronaldo Rises Above the Rest

Real Madrid 1-0 Barcelona, 20 April 2011
El Clásico is always a vitally important fixture, but when it’s played in a cup final, the stakes are even higher. The 2010/11 Copa del Rey saw Spain’s greatest sides meet in the final and play out a tense, cagey affair over 90 minutes. With the game deep into extra time and penalties looming, a cross from Angel Di Maria was met by Ronaldo, with a signature leap and bullet header into the back of the net. This gave Madrid the win and gave Mourinho his first trophy as manager of Los Blancos.

3 – Messi Magic

Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona, 27 April 2011
The sight of Lionel Messi carving through defenders became an all too familiar one for Madrid fans in the 2010s. The diminutive Argentinian holds the record for the most goals in El Clásico’s history, at 26, with perhaps the finest example coming in a Champions League semi-final back in 2011. Having already put his side one up, Messi doubled the scoring with an incredible solo effort, dribbling past four Madrid defenders before calmly slotting the ball past Iker Casillas. Barcelona would go on to win the Champions League, with Messi’s 13 goals carrying them to victory.

2 – Bale Takes the Long Way Round

Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona, 15 April 2014
Gareth Bale’s career in Spain certainly had its ups and downs, but the Welshman scored some incredible goals during his time as a Galactico. Perhaps his most memorable came in the final of the 2013/14 Copa del Rey, when the winger scored the game-winning goal in the 85th minute of the game. Bale picked up the ball in his own half before knocking it beyond Marc Bartra and flying down the left, leaving the pitch for some distance to get past his man. He continued his run into the box and slotted a composed shot between the legs of the Barcelona keeper, finishing off an incredible solo effort.

1 – Messi on a million backs

Real Madrid 2-3 Barcelona, 23 April 2017
Rounding out our list is perhaps the most famous celebration in footballing history. The game had all the typical Clásico drama, with the title on the line, five great goals and a red card giving the game some real edge. A late goal seemed to have secured a point for the hosts, but a stoppage-time cross from Jordi Alba found Messi who placed a perfect finish in the bottom left corner. The Argentinian ran towards the crowd, taking his shirt off and holding it aloft, showing the stunned Madrid fans his name. It was a special moment, with Messi silencing the Bernabéu and ensuring his name would forever be remembered.

Most Controversial Moments

5 – Stoichkov stamps on the referee

A moment of madness saw Hristo Stoichkov sent off after stamping on the referee’s foot during this Super Copa clash in 1990. The Bulgarian received a red card and was handed a two-month ban for the incident.

4 – Lighter thrown at Roberto Carlos

A particularly hostile Clásico back in 1997 saw Barcelona win in the first leg of the Super Cup at the Camp Nou. The game was marred by the home fans throwing objects onto the pitch, most notably a lighter, which hit legendary fullback Roberto Carlos on the head.

3 – Three penalties in one game

A thrilling game back in 2014 saw Barcelona win an edgy affair 4-3. The match saw three penalties awarded during the game, with Messi converting two and Ronaldo converting the other. Some controversial refereeing decisions and a red card for Sergio Ramos capped off a classic testy El Clásico.

2 – A fan throws a pig’s head onto the pitch

In rivalries as fierce as El Clásico, players unfortunately have to deal with opposing fans throwing things at them, but one fan took it a step further during this 2002 clash. Luis Figo had been transferred from Barcelona to Real Madrid, making him a prime target for his former club’s fans. They hurled all manner of objects at him, but by far the most bizarre was an entire pig’s head, which landed next to Figo while taking a corner.

1 – Mourinho’s eye poke

An illegal challenge from Marcelo on Cesc Fabregas led to an all-out brawl during this 2011 clash. During the melee, Jose Mourinho was seen poking his finger in the eye of Barcelona assistant coach Tito Vilanova. It was a shocking and clearly deliberately violent act from Mourinho, but he refused to apologize in the aftermath.