Matches between Real Madrid and Barcelona are always the biggest dates on the Spanish football calendar with the two grandest clubs in La Liga battling out some memorable contests over the years.
Despite no longer boasting the iconic Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo matchup, the fixture still includes some of the biggest names in world football and regularly sees the two teams competing for the biggest prizes.
In 2022/23, these teams met five times across the season. Barcelona eventually lifted the league title and defeated their rivals in the Supercopa de Espana final, but Madrid got their revenge by winning the two-legged Copa del Rey semifinal tie.
The two clubs have met each other in 256 competitive matches, with Real Madrid winning 105, Barcelona 100, and the teams finishing level on 52 occasions. Former Barca star Messi is the all-time highest goalscorer in El Clasico’s history and the Argentina great is behind only Sergio Busquets in appearances (48) in this fixture.
El Clasico head-to-head record
Here, we take a look at all the records of this classic encounter between the two Spanish giants.
Who has won the most El Clasico matches — Real Madrid or Barcelona?
| Competition | Matches | Real Madrid wins | Barcelona wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 188 | 79 | 74 | 35 |
| Copa del Rey | 37 | 13 | 16 | 8 |
| Copa de La Liga | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Supercopa de Espana | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| Copa de la Coronacion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Champions League | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 256 | 104 | 100 | 52 |
Who are the top goalscorers in El Clasico?
| Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 26 |
| Alfredo Di Stefano | Real Madrid | 18 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid | 18 |
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 16 |
| Raul Gonzalez | Real Madrid | 15 |
| Cesar Rodriguez | Barcelona | 14 |
| Francisco Gento | Real Madrid | 14 |
| Ferenc Puskas | Real Madrid | 14 |
Who are the players with the most appearances in El Clasico?
| Player | Club | Appearances |
|---|---|---|
| Sergio Busquets | Barcelona | 48 |
| Lionel Messi | Barcelona | 45 |
| Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid | 45 |
| Karim Benzema | Real Madrid | 43 |
| Francisco Gento | Real Madrid | 42 |
| Manuel Sanchis | Real Madrid | 42 |
| Xavi Hernandez | Barcelona | 42 |
What are the biggest wins in El Clasico history?
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| June 19, 1943 | Real Madrid 11–1 Barcelona | Copa del Rey |
| Feb. 3, 1935 | Real Madrid 8–2 Barcelona | La Liga |
| Sep. 24, 1950 | Barcelona 7–2 Real Madrid | La Liga |
| May 19, 1957 | Barcelona 6–1 Real Madrid | Copa del Rey |
| Sep. 18, 1949 | Real Madrid 6–1 Barcelona | La Liga |
Which players have scored the most hat-tricks in El Clasico?
| Player | Club | No. of hat-tricks |
|---|---|---|
| Santiago Bernabeu | Real Madrid | 2 (Both in 1916 Copa del Rey) |
| Jaime Lazcano | Real Madrid | 2 (1929/30 La Liga & 1934/35 La Liga) |
| Ferenc Puskas | Real Madrid | 2 (1962/63 La Liga & 1963/64 La Liga) |
| Lionel Messi | FC Barcelona | 2 (2006/07 La Liga & 2013/14 La Liga) |
Carlo Ancelotti vs Hansi Flick head to head
Carlo Ancelotti has been a mainstay at Real Madrid since joining in 2021, seeing two Barcelona managers fired during his time in charge at the Bernabeu with Ronald Koeman and Xavi both ushered out.
Now, the Italian will face a new manager as the El Clasico opponents clash in late October 2024, ready to oppose Hansi Flick for the first time in his career.
The two have never matched up before, with Flick now in his first managerial job outside of Germany. The two never met when Ancelotti was in charge of Bayern Munich, as Flick was working for the German national team setup at the time.