Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Complete Head-to-Head Record

El Clásico, Real Madrid versus Barcelona, is the most famous derby in world soccer.

El Clasico is always a fiery affair. Lionel Messi (centre) and Sergio Ramos (right) go head-to-head. / AFLOSPORT/IMAGO

Real Madrid versus Barcelona, best known as El Clásico, is the most famous derby in world soccer.

More than just a battle between Spanish football's two most successful-ever teams, it’s a clash of identities, deeply rooted in both sporting traditions and political history.

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, represents an autonomous region in northeastern Spain that has sought independence from mainland Spain since the mid-19th century. The soccer club takes pride in its philosophy of developing talent through its renowned La Masia academy.

Real Madrid, by contrast, is closely associated with the Spanish royal family and Spanish nationalism. The club is renowned for its tendency to invest heavily in world soccer’s top stars, rather than relying on players developed from within.

Since first facing off in 1902, the two clubs and their contrasting philosophies have clashed over 250 times.

But which of the two has emerged victorious more often?

---

Real Madrid vs Barcelona: Complete Head-to-Head Record

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in action in El Clasico. / Ulmer/IMAGO

In their 262 competitive meetings to date, Real Madrid has marginally come out on top more often, winning 106 games to Barcelona's 103. The two sides have shared the spoils on 52 occasions.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have met most frequently in La Liga. Of their 191 encounters in the Spanish top flight, Los Blancos have won 80, while Barcelona has won 75. They've drawn 35 times.

In the Champions League, Madrid again holds the edge, winning three games, losing two, and drawing five. It’s rare for Spain’s two behemoths to encounter one another on the biggest stage, but the pair memorably faced off in the semifinals back in 2010–11, when the Clásico was at its peak with José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola at the helms of Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.

Meanwhile, in the Copa del Rey, Spain's biggest domestic knockout tournament, it's Barcelona that has the better record, with 17 wins to Madrid's 13.

Competition	Matches	Real Madrid wins	Barcelona wins	Draws
LaLiga	191	80	76	35
Copa del Rey	38	13	17	8
Copa de La Liga	6	0	2	4
Supercopa de Espana	18	10	6	2
Champions League	8	3	2	3
Copa de la Coronacion	1	0	1	0
Totals	262	106	103	52

---

Who Are the Top Scorers in El Clásico?

Lionel Messi is the top scorer in El Clasico. / Alterphotos/IMAGO

Lionel Messi is the all-time top scorer in El Clásico. The Barcelona legend found the net an impressive 26 times in 45 games against Madrid, saving some of his best work for Spain’s biggest fixture.

As is so often the case, Messi is closely followed by his greatest rival Cristiano Ronaldo for the most goals in El Clásico. Ronaldo scored 18 times for Madrid in 31 games against Barcelona during his nine seasons in the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo's total is matched by Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stéfano. Raúl and Karim Benzema also had impressive scoring records in the fixture, notching 15 and 16, respectively.

Player	El Clásico Appearances	Goals
Lionel Messi	45	26
Cristiano Ronaldo	31	18
Alfredo Di Stéfano	30	18
Karim Benzema	43	16
Raúl	37	15
César Rodríguez	28	14
Paco Gento	42	14
Ferenc Puskás	18	14

---

READ THE LATEST LA LIGA NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE

feed