On Saturday, match week 17 in La Liga will boil down to one match and one match only: the El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu. Though Barcelona dares not think about losing the world’s greatest rivalry game, manager Ernesto Valverde is obviously correct in saying, “I don’t think a Clasico victory will give us the title.”
With little room for dissention, El Clasico is the richest annual clash between two teams in the sports world — more than the Super Bowl, more than the World Series and even more than the Champions League final. Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two most valuable clubs in the world and their rivalry is likewise one of the grandest events on the calendar.
But how do the two clubs compare in value once they take the pitch? We took a look at the values of each team’s starting XI.
Everyone who's anyone wants to know how Messi and Ronaldo stack up against each other in El Clasico, but don't worry, we've got you covered.
Goals: Lionel Messi has scored 24 goals in El Clasico. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 17 goals in El Clasico.
Assists: Lionel Messi has assisted 13 goals in El Clasico. Cristiano Ronaldo has assisted one goal in El Clasico.
Mexican international Hugo Sánchez held records only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have surpassed in recent years. One of Real Madrid’s best strikers of all-time, Sánchez was also key for Los Blancos when it came to playing El Clásico.
With El Clásico looming on the horizon, it's time to remember one of the most successful players to ever take part in Spain’s — and arguably the world’s — biggest clash.
El Clasico is the biggest rivalry in sports, featuring the biggest stars in the biggest venues with some of the biggest prizes in soccer generally on the line. So who are the El Clasico highest scorers, the players who shine when the lights are brightest and the pressure is on?
Lionel Messi — Barcelona (24)
The first Real Madrid vs. Barcelona match of the 2017-18 season is Saturday at the Bernabeu. While this fixture has been dominated by the Messi vs. Ronaldo debate for the last decade, there’s another matchup that pops into people’s minds: El Clasico vs Super Bowl. Which has higher TV ratings?
USWNT and Orlando Pride striker Alex Morgan (the recent recipient of the 2017 CONCACAF Female Player of the Year award) attended Saturday’s match between FC Barcelona and Deportivo at the Camp Nou in Catalonia, with Barca running out 4-0 victors while Morgan watched from the Presidential Box.
Real Madrid welcomes Barcelona to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, December 23, for the 175th league edition of El Clasico. The stakes couldn’t be higher with Real desperate to make up ground in La Liga, while a victory for Barcelona at the home of its greatest rival would effectively doom Zinedine Zidane’s men in their quest to defend the title.