Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has revealed how the Reds laid on a private jet and food for Kylian Mbappe and his family in an attempt to sign the France striker before he opted to join Paris St-Germain in 2017.
The German said it was the “most expensive non-transfer” the club had invested in, as they courted the then-Monaco forward, now aged 27.
Speaking before France beat Morocco to reach the World Cup semi-finals, Klopp – who is working for Magenta TV as a pundit at the tournament – said the Real Madrid man had been wanted by Liverpool.
He went on to explain how a flight was taken from Blackpool to Nice in France, where “the entire Mbappe family boarded a private jet with five rooms or something”.
Mbappe is represented by his mother, who runs a consulting company for professional footballers.
“We really went all out. Then we flew around in a circle, talked with the family, ate good food,” Klopp said at pitchside.
He said they had not wanted to be seen having talks – but the meeting proved fruitless.
Mbappe later joined PSG on loan in a deal with an option for the move to become permanent for 180m euros (£153m). He went on to spend seven years in Paris, becaming the club’s record goal scorer before leaving for Real Madrid in 2024.
“We flew in a circle. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris,” Klopp said.
Klopp, 59, spent nine years on Merseyside, delivering a Champions League and Premier League title before quitting in 2024.
He is widely expected to be named as the next head coach of the German national team.
Messi is the top goal scorer after tallying his eighth against Egypt, with Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe next best.
Published On 8 Jul 20268 Jul 2026
Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has, once again, taken the lead in the race for the World Cup’s Golden Boot award after scoring his eighth goal in his country’s thrilling 3-2 win over Egypt in the round of 16 on Tuesday.
Messi’s goal brought Argentina back on level terms after they were 2-0 down in the match in Atlanta, and also helped him break away from the rest of the pack.
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For three days, French talisman Kylian Mbappe and Argentinian great Lionel Messi rubbed shoulders as the joint leaders – with seven goals apiece – in the race to be the tournament’s top goal scorer, but Haaland’s double in Norway’s round of 16 win against Brazil put him level with both on Sunday.
When the World Cup’s knockout stage began, Messi became the first to reach seven goals when Argentina beat Cape Verde on Friday, and Mbappe matched him a day later as France beat Paraguay.
England’s Harry Kane took his tally to six goals after scoring in England’s thrilling 3-2 win over Mexico late on Sunday.
Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal and Mbappe’s teammate Ousmane Dembele are hot on their heels with four goals each.
Here’s everything you need to know about FIFA’s Golden Boot award:
Messi shoots at goal during the Argentina-Egypt last-16 tie at Atlanta Stadium [Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images via Reuters]
What’s the FIFA Golden Boot award and how is it decided?
FIFA’s Golden Boot is awarded to the player with the most goals at the end of the tournament.
If two players are tied on the same number of goals at the end of the tournament, then the player with the most assists will win the award.
If those tiebreakers cannot split two players, then the Golden Boot is handed to the player who achieved their goals and assists in the least number of minutes.
Erling Haaland celebrates after the match as Norway qualify for the round of 16 [Issei Kato/Reuters]
Which players are the top goal scorers at World Cup 2026?
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 8 goals, 1 assist
Kylian Mbappe (France) – 7 goals, 2 assists
Erling Haaland (Norway) – 7 goals, 0 assists
Harry Kane (England) – 6 goals, 1 assist
Ousmane Dembele (France) – 4 goals, 2 assists
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) – 4 goals, 1 assist
How many Golden Boot awards have current World Cup players won?
Mbappe, Kane and James Rodriguez are all looking to bag the top goal-scorer prize for a second time.
England’s Kane won the award in 2018 in Russia, while Colombia’s Rodriguez was the top scorer in 2014 in Brazil.
French soccer superstar Kylian Mbappé took to social media Monday to respond to racist remarks a Paraguayan senator made following her country’s 1-0 loss to France in a World Cup knockout round game over the weekend.
Mbappé called Celeste Amarilla, a 61-year-old senator from Paraguay’s Liberal Radical Party, “a despicable woman and unworthy” of her position.
And he was just getting started.
“You do not represent Paraguay, that country which has sweated passion and honor throughout the competition,” Mbappé wrote on X. “Through your recklessness and your brazen racism, the entire world has already forgotten the journey and the historic effort that your players accomplished during this World Cup, making way for an incompetent woman who gives the worst possible image of her country.
“I will never allow people like her the freedom to spread their hatred and racism across the world.”
The 27-year-old French captain scored the only goal of Saturday’s round of 16 game on a penalty kick in the 70th minute. Mbappé is tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Norway’s Erling Haaland with a tournament-high seven goals. He also has 19 overall World Cup goals, one behind Messi for the all-time record.
Amarilla apparently wasn’t impressed, taking to both Instagram and X to make comments about Mbappé ‘s cultural background, appearance, education and more. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Times.
The Paraguayan government said in a statement Monday that it “deplores and rejects” the senator’s remarks.
“These statements are contrary to the values and principles that inspire peaceful coexistence and respect for human dignity, which our country promotes,” it said, adding that Amarilla’s words “in no way represent the position of the Government of the Republic of Paraguay or of the Paraguayan people.”
The French Football Federation said in a statement that Amarilla’s comments were racist, as well as “utterly despicable and unacceptable” and “criminal and reprehensible.”
“These remarks are abhorrent, unworthy, and all the more unacceptable given that they come from a political figure. In the face of racism, we will not remain silent,” France’s sports minister Marina Ferrari wrote on X. “By targeting Kylian Mbappé, the senator is attacking everything our captain embodies and everything our country stands for: liberty, equality, and fraternity.”
France plays Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals Thursday in Foxborough, Mass.
How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out.
Who: France vs Paraguay What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 16 Where: Philadelphia Stadium, US When: Saturday, July 4, at 5pm (21:00 GMT) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 18:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream.
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Kylian Mbappe’s France have been the outstanding team so far at this World Cup and will be expected to get the better of Paraguay on Saturday and extend their run to the quarterfinals.
France look a very good bet to win their third World Cup, and they are certainly expected to overcome a Paraguay team ranked 41st in the world.
After winning the trophy in 2018 and losing the 2022 final on penalties, France are hoping to become only the third team in World Cup history to reach three consecutive finals, after West Germany and Brazil.
That remains a long way off but their performances so far suggest they will take some beating.
Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat of Sweden in the last 32, in which Mbappe scored twice and Bradley Barcola once, made it four wins in four matches with 13 goals scored.
But the Paraguayans head to Philadelphia with their confidence sky-high after their victory on penalties against Germany – which led to a national holiday being declared back home.
What happened in France’s last-32 game?
Mbappe scored twice, and Michael Olise was in scintillating form as France beat Sweden 3-0.
The Real Madrid striker finished a superb move to break the deadlock just before half-time. Olise set up Paris Saint-Germain winger Barcola for the second goal on 53 minutes, and then delivered a delightful pass for Mbappe to complete a convincing victory.
Mbappe’s strikes saw him move level with Lionel Messi on six goals in the all-star golden boot race at this World Cup.
The France captain now has 18 World Cup goals in total, meaning he is just one behind Messi’s overall record of 19, a mark 27-year-old Mbappe will keep chasing.
Olise in action against Sweden [AFP]
What happened in Paraguay’s last-32 game?
The Germans trailed 1-0 at half-time to Julio Enciso’s 42nd-minute header from Matias Galarza’s cross on Monday.
It was a limp display by the four-time winners in the first period, but they drew level in the second half, when Kai Havertz scored eight minutes after the restart with a glancing header from Florian Wirtz’s ball in from the flank.
Germany then had a Jonathan Tah goal from a corner ruled out after a VAR review for a foul on Paraguay’s keeper, and with no further goal, the game went to spot kicks after extra time.
Havertz, who helped Arsenal end a 22-year wait to win the English Premier League title this season, missed the opening kick of the shootout. The forward’s side would miss three kicks in total, as Paraguay, who themselves missed two kicks, eventually prevailed 4-3.
Deschamps releases the handbrake
France have enjoyed plenty of success during Didier Deschamps’s 14 years in charge, but for a long time there was a sense that a pragmatic coach was not allowing his team to maximise their attacking potential.
Now at his last tournament before stepping down, that appears to have changed. Mbappe, Barcola, Ousmane Dembele and the brilliant Michael Olise seem unstoppable.
“There is an excellent rapport between the attacking players. They speak the same footballing language,” said Deschamps after the Sweden game.
But France’s coach says his side will not take Paraguay lightly.
“They are not here by chance. Germany are a top side, and they have that South American DNA, which means they get stuck in,” Deschamps said.
“And they have good players too. You can’t just qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup like that by chance.”
Mbappe in action against Sweden during the Round of 32 [Vincent Carchietta/Reuters]
‘We also have our own strengths’
One Paraguayan player well-known in France is Julio Enciso of Strasbourg, who scored against Germany.
He recognises that few people will expect Paraguay to win as they aim to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup for just the second time.
“We also have our own strengths, and with our style of play, we’re going to try to make things difficult for any opponent,” said Enciso.
Enciso celebrates scoring against Germany in the last 32 [AFP]
Extreme heat warnings
One potential opponent for both teams is the weather, with temperatures in Philadelphia set to reach 37 degrees Celsius (98 Fahrenheit) on Saturday.
This match will take place in the city where the American Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago, but celebrations for the occasion are at risk of being affected by storms.
France have already played in Philadelphia in this World Cup, and their 3-0 win over Iraq during the group stage was interrupted for two hours because of rain and thunder.
Coping with the conditions could be a challenge, and both sides will want to avoid the draining prospect of extra time and penalties.
The last meeting of the countries at a World Cup featured extra time and turned out to be one of the most pivotal moments in the modern history of the French national team.
On their way to winning the trophy for the first time on home soil in 1998, Les Bleus – with Deschamps as captain – edged Paraguay 1-0.
France vs Paraguay: Kickoff time, TV channel
France: Bein Sports 1 (11pm, Central European Time)
United Kingdom: BBC, ITV (10pm, British Summer Time)
United States: FOX, Telemundo (5pm, Eastern Daylight Time)
To check the TV listings for your country, head to FIFA’s TV listing schedule here.
France vs Paraguay prediction
The Opta supercomputer gives France a 78.8 percent chance of winning in regulation time, while Paraguay are at 7.6 percent.
The model estimates a 13.7 percent probability that the game will go to extra time.
Head-to-head
The two countries have faced each other five times, with France winning three of the games and two ending as draws.
France beat Paraguay 5-0 in their most recent encounter – a friendly in 2017 – in which Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick.
June 02, 2017: France 5-0 Paraguay (friendly)
June 01, 2014: France 1-1 Paraguay (friendly)
May 31, 2008: France 0-0 Paraguay (friendly)
June 28, 1998: France 1-0 Paraguay (World Cup last 16)
June 08, 1958: France 7-3 Paraguay (World Cup group stage)
Team news
Neither side has any suspensions or reported injury concerns.
The race for the Golden Boot at World Cup 2026 is shaping up to be one for the history books.
After just two games, Argentina talisman Lionel Messi leads the way with five goals, followed by France’s Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland of Norway with four goals each.
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Germany’s Deniz Undav has three with Jonathan David of Canada on the same mark after a hat-trick against Qatar.
A further 20 players have scored twice in their opening two games, including 2018 Golden Boot winner Harry Kane of England, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Vinicius Jr of Brazil and Mikel Oyarzabal of Spain.
The stars are all shining and, given the rate of scoring so far, it seems possible double figures might be needed to win the Golden Boot, something done only three times in history – by Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in 1954, Just Fontaine of France four years later and Gerd Muller of Germany in 1970.
Fontaine holds the record of 13 goals in one World Cup in just six matches in Sweden, but the expanded 48-team format in 2026 means the nations qualifying for the semifinals in July will play an unprecedented eight games in this edition.
At the 2006 World Cup in Germany and in South Africa four years later, only five goals were needed to claim the Golden Boot while nobody has scored more than eight in the past 13 editions, a feat achieved only by Brazil’s Ronaldo in 2002 and Mbappe four years ago in Qatar.
Kylian Mbappe followed his double against Senegal with another against Iraq in this year’s World Cup [Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters]
Why have so many goals been scored at World Cup 2026?
It took just 33 matches for a century of goals to be racked up in this edition, second only to 1954 in terms of pace.
After Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan on Tuesday, 139 goals had been scored across the first 45 games – the most in the group stages of a single edition of the finals, overtaking the 136 scored in 2014 in three fewer matches.
The record number of goals in one edition came in Qatar 2022 with 172 from 64 games. With an extra 40 matches in the new expanded format that went into effect this year, it was always likely to be broken, but the rate of scoring suggests the old mark will be obliterated.
The Adidas Trionda ball used in World Cup 2026 [Simon Fearn/Imagn Images]
One reason for the increase in goals might be the Adidas Trionda ball, which FIFA commissioned for this World Cup.
Before the tournament, FIFA said it boasts several key performance innovations, including intentionally deep seams designed to produce optimal in-flight stability by ensuring sufficient and evenly distributed drag as the ball travels through the air – in short, it flies through the air – while the surface of the ball is designed to increase grip when striking or dribbling in wet or humid conditions, which we have seen plenty of in the opening matches.
Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick said: “This ball is as fast as a cannonball. If you kick the ball in the right position, it’s extremely difficult to save.”
The controversial addition of hydration breaks to each half may also mean players are performing at their peak for longer, leading to the glut of late goals so far. Of course, the fact that 48 teams are taking part, drawn from the world’s leading 85 teams in the rankings, means there are some mismatches in the first phase.
Colombia coach Nestor Lorenzo also said attackers are more protected by officials than they used to be, which may contribute to the increased scoring, adding: “They didn’t have this protection some 20, 30 years ago when they were hit a lot more, when rough play was a lot more common.
“Today, any team that defends well and uses counterattacks and tries to play can manage to do well.”
Erling Haaland has scored two goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances. [John Sibley/Reuters]
Who is likely to win the Golden Boot?
Much will depend on fitness and, of course, how deep a country goes in the tournament, but Messi has to be considered the favourite to win his first accolade.
The 38-year-old scored seven goals at the last World Cup and has now scored in six straight tournament matches, having netted in every knockout round in Qatar and the first two games of this edition. He even missed a penalty against Austria, which would have made it back-to-back hat-tricks.
Argentina’s final group game on Sunday is against already eliminated Jordan although Messi’s inclusion from the start in that one is by no means a given as his side have already secured the top spot in Group J.
They look set for favourable knockout fixtures, though, with the potential for Uruguay or Cape Verde in the last 32, potentially Australia or Iran in the round of 16 and the possibility of Croatia or Colombia in the quarterfinals, should they make it.
Only in the semifinal might they come up against a powerhouse nation, likely in the form of England or Brazil or dark horses Japan, Norway or Mexico.
Mbappe also looks likely to have a favourable run and is likely to feature against Norway on Friday in the group finale, which will decide the top spot in Group I.
Winning the group could mean a round of 32 meeting with Sweden, Germany the potential opponents in the last 16 and the Netherlands or Morocco awaiting in the last eight.
Whoever finishes second out of France and Norway could face a tricky task against the Ivory Coast in the last 32 with Brazil or Japan awaiting the winners and the possibility of England lurking in the quarterfinals, which might put a ceiling on Haaland’s prospects, despite having scored 59 goals in 52 international games for Norway.
Kane will seek to enter the conversation with England facing a must-win Group L finale on Sunday against Panama with the prospect of a last-32 meeting with Cape Verde to follow and Mexico likely lying in wait in the Azteca (known during the World Cup as Mexico City Stadium) in the round of 16.
Cristiano Ronaldo may have left it too late to begin a real quest, given Portugal face Colombia on Sunday in their final Group K game and could face resolute Ghana in the last 32 with Spain potential opponents in the last 16.
But Vinicius Jr could add to his two goals when Brazil face Scotland on Thursday in their final Group C game although the knockout rounds would appear a stiffer test.
Records have been falling from day one for the game’s most feared forwards.
Messi now leading the all-time World Cup list has taken a lot of the headlines, and rightly so.
But he isn’t the only one who has been setting records this tournament.
Mbappe now tops France’s goalscoring charts, Haaland is Norway’s leading World Cup scorer – after just two games – while Kane has equalled Gary Lineker’s World Cup record for England.
And all of them will have their sights set on France’s Just Fontaine’s 1958 record of 13 goals scored in one tournament.
Only three players – Fontaine, Gerd Muller for Germany in 1970 and Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis in 1954 – have ever hit double figures at a single World Cup.
It would not be a surprise if that select list has grown by the end of this tournament.
The new 48-team format certainly looks to have increased the potential for goals. With more lower-ranked teams, the world’s best attackers have prospered.
The World Cup winners will also have to play one more round than ever before – again increasing the chance for goals.
Former France defender Gael Clichy told BBC Sport: “Kylian Mbappe is part of the generation which [has] that fearless factor.
“I remember when I started you had to give respect to the older generation when you came in, and you were not trying to do a nutmeg to the old men.
“This generation, they have respect, but differently. Don’t talk about age, talk about performance.”
So, back to the small matter of the race for the Golden Boot.
“It’s not something I’m thinking about right now,” said Mbappe. “Leo always scores. He always has and always will.
“If I start watching him, I’ll feel like I have to do even more, so no, I don’t watch what he’s doing. I’m only thinking about helping my team – by helping the team, I score goals and get closer to that kind of level.”
Norway boss Stale Solbakken has, perhaps unsurprisingly, pushed Haaland’s cause.
“He is the best striker – he is not playing for France or Argentina, he scores for Norway. He’s scored four goals now, two braces on the biggest stage,” he said.
“It’s easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina, but we’ll try to give Erling more games, and more help also in the next games. So he’s on fire and I’m very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage.”
USA striker Folarin Balogun has made a decent enough start to the tournament himself, with two goals in his first two games.
But he probably summed it up the best, when he joked: “I think it’s annoying. Seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland – they’re so inevitable. I think they’re scoring a goal a game, sometimes more.
“For me, it’s just about trying to get to that level – to be inevitable as well.”
Haaland had to wait until the age of 25 not just to make his World Cup debut, but his international tournament bow too.
And the Leeds-born striker is clearly eager to make up for lost time.
“He’s the opposite of Mbappe and Messi,” Williams said. “He’ll beat you without the ball, which makes it even more dangerous.
“You want to help your midfield by squeezing up, so they don’t have to cover too much distance.
“But as soon as you leave the space in behind, he’s going to exploit that straight away.”
One of the keys to limiting Haaland’s influence, Williams says, is to prevent his team mates getting the ball to him.
“You’ve got to stop the balls in behind first and foremost,” Williams said. “Stop the supply going into him.
“If you can play your distances between your midfield and limit his chances, you’ve got half a chance.
“There’s not many times when he actually drops in, gets the ball, beats four players, and scores his own goal, so he does feed off what he’s getting served.”
Haaland is the most clinical of the four, with 57 goals in just 51 caps.
“He’s more lethal,” Williams added. “If he gets a chance, it’s probably going to be a goal.”
What about dealing with Haaland one on one?
“Around the box, you’ve got to get tight and try to get him on his right foot,” Williams said.
“Then you’re just going to have to be as strong as you can, don’t be clever, just get the ball away and buy time.”
France captain overtakes Giroud with 58 goals for his country and the most for Les Blues at a World Cup.
Published On 17 Jun 202617 Jun 2026
Any doubts about Kylian Mbappe’s status as one of the world’s greatest footballers were laid to rest when he statistically topped the charts with two goals as France beat Senegal 3-1 in their opening game of the World Cup.
The 27-year-old became France’s record scorer on Tuesday, overtaking Olivier Giroud with 58 goals. In a full-circle moment, Giroud, a commentator at Tuesday’s match against Senegal, congratulated Mbappe live on air when he netted again in the 96th minute.
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Mbappe also became France’s top scorer at a World Cup with 14 goals, as well as the youngest ever to reach that number. He eclipsed Just Fontaine’s record of 13 goals, all of which were scored at the 1958 World Cup.
Mbappe sits just two goals behind Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record for most goals scored, another record he could break when France take on Iraq next week in Philadelphia. He sits third on the list, just behind Brazil’s Ronaldo with 15 goals, although he has eclipsed Argentinian icon Lionel Messi with 13 World Cup goals.
Mbappe posted on social media soon after the record-breaking match but did not mention the personal milestones.
“Always important to start with a win. It will be a long road, but we are ready,” he wrote on Instagram.
For his first goal of the 2026 edition, Mbappe darted across the penalty area to convert a brilliant Michael Olise pass on 66 minutes, breaking the deadlock in a contest in which France struggled in the first half but came to life after the break.
Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain then came off the bench to get the second late on, before his club colleague Ibrahim Mbaye pulled one back in stoppage time for Senegal.
But Mbappe saved the best for last, as he blasted in from long range in the 96th minute to seal the win.
Mbappe is no stranger to World Cup stardom; he guided France to victory in Russia 2018 at just 19 years of age.
Mbappe shoots to score his team’s third goal against Senegal [Charly Triballeau/AFP]
Which other records did Mbappe break?
His lone goal for France against Peru in 2018 made him the youngest French player to score at a World Cup, and the second teenager, after Pele, to score in a World Cup final. Mbappe’s performance earned him FIFA’s Young Player of the Year award, and he was also named France’s player of the year.
Although Messi’s Argentina robbed France of a consecutive victory in 2022, Mbappe’s hat-trick in the World Cup final was only the second time the feat has been achieved. England’s Geoff Hurst did it in 1966 at Wembley for a 4-2 victory over West Germany.
Mbappe’s goals on Tuesday mean he has scored at three consecutive World Cups, and is the only player to have scored two goals or more in five different World Cup matches.
Mbappe poses for pictures with relatives and friends in the stands after the match [Franck Fife/AFP]
Barcelona are set to storm La Liga this year and could seal title in Sunday’s Clasico, but what is the history of the Real Madrid rivalry?
Barcelona and Real Madrid will contest the 264th El Clasico when the Spanish giants come together in a La Liga clash on Sunday.
Rarely will there have been a more highly charged atmosphere with a heavily demoralised Real arriving in the Catalan capital, facing the prospect of watching their fiercest rivals crowned champions on the day.
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Although knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarterfinals, as Los Blancos were too, Barca are well on course to defend their La Liga crown – and at a canter.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the talking points heading into the game and what the history is of a 124-year-old rivalry.
Will Kylian Mbappe play for Real Madrid against Barcelona?
The headline news surrounding Sunday’s game is the availability of Kylian Mbappe, with the French striker a doubt for the Clasico because of a hamstring injury.
The 27-year-old striker tops the scoring charts in the Spanish league this season with 24 goals. Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi is a surprise second on the list with 21 strikes, while Barca’s Lamine Yamal, who is out for the remainder of the season, has netted 16 times and is third on the list.
Despite Mbappe’s goalscoring achievements, a “Mbappe out” petition has garnered more than 33 million signatures calling for the club to sell the striker, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago.
What happened to Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde?
Federico Valverde will definitely miss out on El Clasico after a training ground bust-up on Thursday resulted in the midfielder being taken to hospital.
The 27-year-old Uruguayan is understood to have sustained a head injury following an incident with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.
Real have said they are investigating internally, and have already decided to open disciplinary proceedings against both players.
It is not yet clear if Frenchman Tchouameni will be available for Sunday’s match as a result.
How can Barcelona win La Liga in Sunday’s El Clasico?
Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real trail Hansi Flick’s reigning champions by 11 points with four matches remaining, and are sinking towards a second straight season without a major trophy.
Anything but a win for Real on Sunday will see Barca lift the trophy in their own stadium against the only side to have won La Liga more.
What is meant by El Clasico?
The term El Clasico first appeared in a Spanish newspaper during the 1960s in reference to matches between the two biggest club teams in Spain.
The simple translation is “The Classic”.
By that time, the match had already been long considered one of sport’s fiercest derbies.
How did El Clasico become Spain’s greatest rivalry?
Originally, the phrase “Viejo Clasico” (Old Classic) was a term that referred to the Madrid derby between Real and Athletic Bilbao.
The match between the pair has historically been the most-played fixture in Spanish football before the rise of Barcelona to one of the two most prominent teams in the country.
The term El Clasico, although a 1960s invention in Spain, became a more widely popular and globally associated name when the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona peaked in the 1990s.
Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona were a side to be feared on the global stage, but Quinta del Buitre’s Real were putting up a stern test. In the late 90s, Real’s superstar lineup was dubbed the Galacticos following the heavy financial investment in overseas stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.
By the turn of the century, the rivalry was recognised as one of the biggest match-ups in world sport and heralded in the era of Pep Guardiola vs Jose Mourinho in the dugouts – and the small matter of Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo on the field.
When was the first El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid?
The first match between the clubs took place on May 13, 1902, in the Copa de la Coronacion (a predecessor to the Copa del Rey).
Barcelona won the match 3-1 in the Spanish capital against Madrid FC (the club later became Real Madrid).
Who has won more El Clasico matches, Real Madrid or Barcelona?
Of the 261 matches between the clubs over the last 124 years, Real have won 106, while Barcelona have won 105.
How many times have Real Madrid and Barcelona won La Liga?
Real have lifted the La Liga trophy 36 times while Barca are targeting their 28th title.
Who has scored the most El Clasico goals?
Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 26 goals for Barcelona
Alfredo Di Stefano (Portugal) – 18 goals for Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 18 goals for Real Madrid
Karim Benzema (France) – 16 goals for Real Madrid
Raul (Spain) – 15 goals for Real Madrid
What are the last five results between Barcelona and Real Madrid?
January 11, 2026 – Spanish Super Cup final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid
October 26, 2025 – La Liga: Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
May 11, 2025 – La Liga: Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid
April 26, 2025 – Copa del Rey final: Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid (after extra time)
January 12, 2025 – Spanish Super Cup final: Real Madrid 2-5 Barcelona
How can I follow Sunday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid?
We will bring you our comprehensive text commentary stream of Sunday’s match, starting with our usual extensive build-up – including all the news, analyses and opinion surrounding the game.
