The Classic Derbies in Argentine Soccer

There are 25 derbies in Argentine soccer! But, in this article, we'll focus on the most important, including the Súperclasico between Boca Juniors and River Plate.

The rivalry between Boca Juniors and River Plate fires up more than half of Argentina, but it’s just one of the classic derbies in Argentine soccer. Today, we’ll tell you all about the most anticipated matches in Argentina.

What are the derbies in Argentine soccer?

Soccer is the most popular sport in Argentina, so it should come as no surprise to learn that there are 25 significant derbies in the country. Some of them are more popular than others, and there’s no shortage of local rivalries, even between different neighborhoods. Here are some of the most important ones:

1. The Superclásico: derbies in Argentine soccer

This is the biggest derby in the country and one of the most famous in the world. It features Boca Juniors and River Plate, who are the two most successful teams in Argentina and have the most supporters. International sports newspapers have called it a match that, “Everyone should see before they die.” And, “One of the fiercest on the planet”.

The rivalry between these two teams began when they were located in the same neighborhood (La Boca) at the beginning of the 20th century. Nobody knows for sure when they first played; some say 1908, others say 1912. However, the first documented match was in 1913 and was won by River Plate.

Since then, there have been many memorable matches. These include ones that decided national titles, such as in 1976, 2017, and 2018, or the final of the Copa Libertadores 2018, which had to be played at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid. Officially, these teams have played each other on 251 occasions, with Boca winning 89 times and River winning 83 times.

2. Avellaneda derby

This is another classic derby in Argentine soccer that is definitely worth seeing, at least on TV. These two teams, Independiente and Racing, are located in the same neighborhood and their stadiums are on the same street, opposite each other.

Even their colors are opposite to each other, with the ‘Devils’ in red and ‘La Academia’ in pale blue and white, as the national flag. Independiente, the ‘Devils’ take their nickname from their red shirts and ‘La Academia’ are so-called because of the ‘lessons’ that the team historically gave to their opponents.

Founded two years apart at the beginning of the century, they met for the first time in 1907, and since then the rivalry has continued to grow. This derby has also taken place on some important occasions; it was the first match between the champions of the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup.

If you look at the statistics, they’ve met 225 times. Independiente has won 86 times, Racing has won 66 times, and the remainder were ties.

3. Derbies in Argentine soccer: Rosario

Soccer is as big in Rosario as in Buenos Aires, or maybe even more popular. Many people know about the city because it’s where Lionel Messi was born.

In fact, Messi’s boyhood team, Newell’s Old Boys, is one of the teams that feature in the Rosario derby, with the other being Rosario Central.

The first time these two sides met was in 1905, and every time they meet, the entire province stops. Since that first game, they have played 268 times, with more draws than wins. Central won have 90 and Newell’s Old Boys have won 75.

4. Huracán-San Lorenzo derby

Some call it the ‘neighborhood classic’ and others the ‘Porteño Derby’ because both teams are from the same area of ​​the City of Buenos Aires. San Lorenzo wears red and blue shirts and Huracá wears white and red. Both are two of the oldest most successful teams in Argentine soccer.

This derby is also popularly called, ‘The Greatest Neighborhood Derby in the World’.

The first time they faced each other was in April 1915, with Huracán winning 3-1. They’ve only met each other 170 times because Huracán spent many seasons in the second division. San Lorenzo has won 82 times and Huracán has won 43 times.

5. Derbies in Argentine soccer: La Plata

This is another of the most important derbies of Argentine soccer, and the whole city stops each time it’s played. La Plata is home to Estudiantes (red and white) and Gimnasia (blue and white). The La Plata derby has a long history with each team continuously fighting for dominance in the city.

Estudiantes and Gimnasia have played each other since before the game turned professional. Their first official match was in 1916, and they’ve officially met 180 times, with Estudiantes winning 66 times and Gimnasia winning 50 times.

There are lots of other classic derbies in Argentine Soccer, but we can’t list them all! Other notable ones include the Western derby (Ferro and Vélez), the Santa Fe derby (Colón and Unión), and the Clásico Cordobés (Talleres and Belgrano). Have you been lucky enough to attend any of these games?