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 255 competitive matches, with Real Madrid winning 104, Barcelona 100, and the teams sharing the spoils 52 times. 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.
MORE: How the first Clasico of 2023/24 played out
El Clasico head-to-head record
Here, we take a look at all the records of this classic encounter between the two Spanish giants.
Carlo Ancelotti vs Xavi head to head
Xavi finds himself battling against Ancelotti in the dugout following his return to Barcelona in 2021, with Ancelotti making his own La Liga comeback in the same year.
As a player, Xavi faced Ancelotti teams three times in his early career as the fulcrum of Barcelona’s midfield against AC Milan. They met again as Ancelotti moved on to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Xavi lost just one of his four La Liga meetings with Ancelotti during the Italian’s first spell in Madrid from 2013 to 2015, but he was on the losing side in the 2014 Copa del Rey final.
It finished one La Liga win each as they faced off as rival coaches for the first time in 2021/22, but Ancelotti sealed the title. Madrid beat Barca in the Supercopa de Espana final last season, but Xavi turned the tables in the 2023 final.
Last season, Barca and Madrid won one game apiece in league play, with the Catalans winning the Supercopa final and the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal tie before Madrid romped to a 4-0 victory in the second.
In the first meeting of 2023/24, Madrid came from a goal down to win 2-1 in Catalonia thanks to two more strikes from Jude Bellingham. In the second, Vinicius Jr scored a first-half hat-trick as Madrid won 4-1 to win the Supercopa in Saudi Arabia.
Who has won the most El Clasico matches — Real Madrid or Barcelona?
| Competition | Matches | Real Madrid wins | Barcelona wins | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Liga | 187 | 78 | 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) |
