El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid is the greatest sporting rivalry in the world, with the best names competing in the biggest arenas for some of the richest rewards in soccer. Originally referring to competitions contested in the Spanish league, it has expanded to cover all club matches, including those in the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey. You can watch the 2021 El Clasico on ESPN+ in the US.

It is one of the most-watched yearly sporting events, aside from the UEFA Champions League Final. It's a high-intensity match that's seen spectacular goal celebrations from both teams, with the opposition frequently mocked. Madrid and Barcelona are Spain's two major cities, and they are frequently associated with opposing political ideologies, with Real Madrid symbolizing Spanish nationalism, and Barcelona representing Catalan nationalism.

The rivalry is often considered one of the most intense in sports history. The two clubs are among the world's wealthiest and most successful football clubs; Forbes listed Barcelona and Real Madrid as the two most valuable sports teams in the world in 2014. Both clubs have a global fan base and are the most followed sports teams on social media.

Barcelona vs Real Madrid: Who has won more La Liga titles?

With 34 championships, Real Madrid are the most successful Spanish club. The first time Madrid won the Spanish league was in the season 1931-32, while their most recent La Liga title came in the season 2019-20. Los Blancos have also ended up runners-up on 24 occasions.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are the second most successful club in La Liga, with 26 titles since their existence. The Blaugrana's first Spanish league trophy came in 1929, while their latest one happened in the season 2018-19. In addition, they finished second on the table in another 26 attempts.

Apart from them, Atletico Madrid was the most recent club to win the league, in seasons 2013-14 and 2020-21. Barcelona have won the Spanish version of the double the most times, with eight wins in a row, three more than Athletic Bilbao. After completing the triple for the second time in 2015, Barcelona is one of just two UEFA clubs, together with Bayern, to have done it twice.

You can watch El Clasico live on ESPN+ in the United States.