These sports rivalries have it all: history, animosity, and die hard fans! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most legendary athletic rivalries of all time!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most legendary athletic
00:13rivalries of all time.
00:14However, we'll be saving collegiate teams and competition on the national scale for
00:18another day.
00:2020.
00:21West Ham United FC and Millwall FC – English Football
00:24This long-standing rivalry from the world of English football has been going on since
00:28before the 20th century.
00:29The West Ham United FC and Millwall FC first played each other all the way back in 1899,
00:35and their competitive spirit has not diminished in the slightest.
00:38Unfortunately, this spirit exists today largely within English football hooligan culture,
00:46and there have been many reports of violent outbursts between supporters of both clubs.
00:50Bricks and bottles were lobbed as hundreds of supporters rioted.
00:53A police presence is usually required at matches as a result of this legacy, so as to ensure
00:58that a meeting between West Ham and Millwall doesn't wind up with a tragic end.
01:0719.
01:08Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons – NBA
01:17Teams can become rivals for a number of reasons, but there's no denying that the careers
01:21of the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons would have likely been very different had Michael
01:25Jordan not entered the game.
01:30It's Jordan's ascent to the apex of the basketball world that was so integral to denying
01:35the Pistons' championship dreams.
01:37This rivalry can be dissected from a number of different angles, however, including one
01:41that celebrates just how good the Pistons were – good enough to stop the Bulls early
01:45on in the late 80s.
01:46Then there was that period of Chicago dominance, the Jordan era that was not loved at home
01:50by Pistons player Isaiah Thomas, who was Chi-town born.
01:54It all came together as a rivalry for the ages.
01:5618.
01:58Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 – German Football
02:03It's known by fans as the Revierderby, a meeting between two legendary rivals of German
02:13football – Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04.
02:17Fans stake their claims across color lines as supporters of both teams vehemently deny
02:21each other at every turn.
02:27Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 have enjoyed a competitive legacy over the years, while
02:32some of their games have actually seen fans storming the pitch creating chaos on the field.
02:36That said, both of these star German teams retain a respect for the other's collective
02:39skill, and it hasn't been unheard of for either Borussia Dortmund or FC Schalke 04
02:44to support each other on a financial level when times have become tough.
02:5117.
02:54SL Benfica and FC Porto – Portuguese Football If it seems as if every country retains their
03:00internal football rivalries, that's because they do, and this definitely applies to Portugal's
03:04SL Benfica and FC Porto.
03:12Teams between these two teams are known as O Clásico, setting both clubs apart from
03:16the other member of Portugal's big three of football, Sporting CP.
03:19This rivalry is a competitive one, and based primarily upon both Benfica and Porto's
03:23status as strong winning teams.
03:32Their fans are also highly dedicated and bring this energy to the stands every time these
03:36two clubs meet on the field.
03:38Oddly enough, however, SL Benfica and Porto's rivalry remains one that's primarily centralized
03:43within Portugal, as O Clásico has never spilled out into other areas of European football
03:48competition.
03:5116.
03:54Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders – NFL There's a lot of money and success behind
03:58the scenes of both the Dallas and Washington football teams.
04:09This rivalry is a long one, dating back when the Washington team was known as the Redskins,
04:13and they were put in the same division as an upstart expansion team, the Dallas Cowboys.
04:17This placement meant that both Washington and Dallas would play twice a season, leading
04:21to a familiarity that bred a fierce competition.
04:33The rivalry also included a 1961 prank by Cowboys fans who took offense to Washington
04:38owner George Marshall's segregationist signing policies.
04:41Even television commercials got into the act, often playing up this historic NFL rivalry
04:46to humorous effect.
04:5015.
04:51Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames – NHL It's the Canadian province of Alberta that
04:55serves as ground zero for our next sporting rivalry, this time within the National Hockey
04:59League.
05:03The Calgary Flames represent the most densely populated city in Alberta, while the Edmonton
05:07Oilers serve as the team behind the province's capital city.
05:11This battle of Alberta has resulted in years of fierce competition and a fan rivalry that's
05:15up there with any other in the NHL.
05:20The Oilers-Flames rivalry has a lot to do with the differences between each city's
05:23political ideologies, from Calgary's historically conservative background to the more liberal-leaning
05:28Edmonton.
05:29To put it simply, a game between these two teams is virtually guaranteed to bring sparks
05:33to the ice.
05:4014.
05:43Olympiakosai and Panathinaikosai – Greek Football We've seen a lot of unique monikers
05:48for football rivalries over the course of this list thus far, but perhaps none of them
05:52possess one as dramatic as this one, the Derby of the Eternal Enemies.
05:59This name is utilized to represent one of Greek football's most infamous pairings,
06:03that of their Olympiakosai and Panathinaikosai clubs.
06:11Coverage of their games is important enough to merit exposure in countries outside of
06:15Greece, while the actual games themselves are noteworthy for their intensity and competitive
06:18spirit.
06:19It's a true clash of the titans that no fan of Greek football would likely miss for
06:22any reason.
06:2713.
06:29Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears – NFL The numbers speak for themselves.
06:39Both the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have enjoyed a lot of success over the years,
06:43and it's been this success that's helped contribute to their professional rivalry.
06:47Well, that and the fact that their meetings have always been physical, with one game in
06:541924 becoming infamous for being the first instance of NFL players being tossed out of
06:58the matchup for fighting.
07:00Beyond this, it also comes down to the quality of players performing on both squads, as well
07:04as the eternal hunt for trophies and accolades that makes this rivalry between the Green
07:08Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears so interesting to watch.
07:1512.
07:19Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade – Croatian Football There's always been a competitive
07:24fire burning between the Croatian football teams, Dinamo Zagreb and Red Star Belgrade.
07:29This rivalry dates all the way back to when both teams were still a part of Yugoslavia,
07:33an era that was marred by the Dinamo Red Star riot of 1990.
07:37I think the riots were planned by the Red Star fans, because they knew the police would
07:42be on their side.
07:43It was actually political tensions surrounding Croatia's imminent independence that seemed
07:47to fuel this riot, leading to an atmosphere at Maksimir Stadium that was akin to a pot
07:52about to boil over.
07:53Clash with police in the middle of the pitch, and then Boban kicked the policeman.
07:58The end result of violence between supporters of both teams was tragic and costly, resulting
08:02in over 60 people being injured.
08:0911.
08:10Ajax of Amsterdam and Feyenoord of Rotterdam – Dutch Football De Klassieker is the term
08:16used to describe this meeting between two of the Netherlands' most talented and supported
08:20football clubs, Ajax of Amsterdam and Feyenoord Rotterdam.
08:23This professional rivalry is once similar in sports to the Battle of Alberta.
08:35This is due to the cultural differences between the cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam with
08:38regards to perceptions of working within the arts as opposed to manual labor.
08:48Supporters of Feyenoord Rotterdam have even been known to utilize the saying, while Amsterdam
08:53dreams, Rotterdam works, to describe this socio-economic divide.
09:03Unfortunately, historical examples of fan violence and even death have followed this
09:08rivalry, including a match from 1997 that saw the death of Ajax supporter Carlo Picardy.
09:1310.
09:14Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants – MLB
09:26This rivalry from Major League Baseball is all about geography.
09:29Specifically, it all started when the Dodgers and Giants were moved out west from their
09:32previous homes in New York City.
09:34Both teams were transplanted to California, while New York received a consolation prize
09:38in the form of the Mets.
09:40The resulting move to a pair of California cities already known for their rivalry bled
09:44into the Dodgers and Giants, creating tensions that are still present amongst fans today.
09:51Both teams have enjoyed winning records in the decades since their East Coast exodus,
09:55while their fans at home have experienced tragic instances of violence, including a
09:59murder in 2003 and an opening day stabbing in 2009.
10:039.
10:04Fenerbahce SK and Galatasaray SK – Turkish Football
10:08All eyes of Turkey's football fans are drawn to the Intercontinental Derby, which is the
10:12name given to matchups between two of the country's most competitive football teams,
10:15Fenerbahce SK and Galatasaray SK.
10:24It's a bitter rivalry to be sure, with stories of riots dating all the way back to when the
10:27teams played each other in 1934.
10:29This trend unfortunately continues today with bad behavior often occurring in the stands
10:34and in the streets outside of the games.
10:42This connection with football hooligan culture has unfortunately marred what could otherwise
10:46be captivating matches between two talented Turkish teams.
10:528.
10:54AC Milan and Inter Milan – Italian Football
11:00We imagine that one could probably cut the tension with a knife over in Milan's San
11:03Ciro Stadium, a place where two of Italian football's fiercest rivals call home.
11:14Yep, both AC Milan and Inter Milan play their intensely competitive games at San Ciro, a
11:19place where fans make sure to separate themselves before play.
11:22Supporters of Inter Milan are largely generalized as upper class, while AC Milan possesses a
11:26reputation for blue-collar, proletariat representation.
11:30This of course all depends upon one's point of view, but there's no denying that fans
11:33of both teams rarely co-mingle.
11:34Instead, San Ciro Stadium sees these rival games employing a north-versus-south seating
11:39arrangement.
11:447.
11:49Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers – NBA
11:51It's one of the most iconic feuds in professional basketball, and also the first appearance
11:55of Boston Massachusetts on this list.
11:58Spoiler alert, it won't be the last.
12:05That's because sports is a big deal in this town, with the capital city having entered
12:08into a number of different rivalries over the years.
12:15The one between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers is among the most iconic,
12:19however, thanks largely to the personalities involved.
12:22Legends of the game from Larry Bird to Magic Johnson have personified this rivalry, while
12:26the Celtics, to their credit, holds the esteemed honor of possessing a winning record over
12:30the Laker franchise.
12:356.
12:38Liverpool F.C. and Manchester United F.C. – English Football
12:41Manchester United and Liverpool are two of the most successful clubs in the history of
12:46English football.
12:49One of the commonalities seen thus far in this list is how certain cultural differences
12:53between cities can lead to the rivalries of their sporting teams.
13:03This is definitely the case between Liverpool F.C. and Manchester F.C., two titans of English
13:07football.
13:08This one's a bit different, however, since the actual cities themselves possess a competition
13:12that dates all the way back to the Industrial Revolution.
13:15Liverpool and Manchester aren't located very far away from each other, and this has
13:18resulted in an economic rivalry that poured over into the sporting world.
13:22What does this mean for football fans in the end?
13:24Competitive games, exciting play, and a fire that ignites every time Liverpool and Manchester
13:28United square off.
13:335.
13:36Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona – Spanish Football
13:40There's a surface-level similarity between this rivalry of Spain's Real Madrid CF
13:44and FC Barcelona to that of Benfica and Porto in Portugal.
13:48This match isn't just a Spanish Clásico, it's a Clásico all around the world.
13:52The word Clásico is used to describe any instance of competition between these two
13:57rivals, although it should be said that Real Madrid and FC Barcelona's history together
14:00is deadly serious.
14:02Real-life political tensions are largely tied to this rivalry, specifically Barcelona's
14:06representation of Catalan independence and Madrid's tethering to Spanish nationalism.
14:11It's all about identity.
14:13Whenever this team takes the field, they always play for the Catalan flag.
14:17Emotions have always run high as a result, with supporters often blurring the lines between
14:21politics and pastime to a startling degree.
14:24Football should be healthy, clean, but it has always been this way.
14:27I don't remember it ever being any different.
14:304.
14:31Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees – MLB
14:34One doesn't even really need to be a sports fan to know about this infamous rivalry from
14:37Major League Baseball.
14:39It was the Boston Red Sox's selling of legendary slugger Babe Ruth to the Yankees back in 1919
14:44that led to the curse of the Bambino.
14:45That single transaction defined the Red Sox franchise.
14:50This alleged curse resulted in a more than eight-decade stretch in which the Sox didn't
14:54win a World Series and laid the groundwork for one of baseball's greatest rivalries.
14:57The Yankees go to the World Series for the 39th time.
15:02Then again, sometimes even the toughest curse has come to an end, and the Boston Red Sox
15:05finally clinched a World Series win in 2004.
15:08Back to full.
15:10Red Sox fans have longed to hear it.
15:143.
15:17River Plate and Boca Juniors – Argentina Football
15:20There are few sports fans as dedicated to their teams as football supporters.
15:24This live-or-die attitude towards fandom can definitely be applied to the longstanding
15:29rivalry between two Argentine football clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors.
15:39The deal between both teams is so big that when they play a superclasico, as it's called,
15:44fans often show up hours in advance to cheer and tailgate.
15:47That said, fans of the visiting team rarely show up at all since violence has also been
15:51known to erupt for away fans who dare root for the opposition.
15:59There also was a tragic accident in 1968 in which 71 people were killed during a stampede.
16:052.
16:07Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens – NHL
16:10The city of Boston returns once again, this time for their intense rivalry with the Montreal
16:14Canadiens and the National Hockey League.
16:21This latter team is no stranger to toughing it out against rival opponents, as evidenced
16:25by their games against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
16:27That said, their Boston feud is something else, a rivalry marked by physicality and
16:31a competitiveness unlike many others in the NHL.
16:39A 1955 brawl between players from both teams following an incident of high-sticking snowballed
16:44into suspensions, fines, forfeited games, and an eventual riot at the Montreal Forum
16:49on March 17th of that year.
16:57Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
17:01Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur – English football
17:03The North London Derby is ground zero for this rivalry.
17:09New York Knicks and Miami Heat – NBA
17:12Pat Riley has actually coached both teams.
17:22Esteglal FC and Perspolis FC – Iranian football
17:27An intense derby from the Persian Gulf.
17:35New South Wales and Queensland – National Rugby League
17:38A state of origin classic.
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18:04Celtic and Rangers – Scottish football
18:06Glasgow's Celtic and Rangers football clubs are no strangers, having stared down each
18:10other more than 400 times over the course of their existence.
18:13Both teams are known by fans as old firm, and their rivalry is one that's again steeped
18:17intense high-stakes political beliefs and ideologies.
18:24Scottish identity and culture is behind much of what makes the Celtic and Rangers rivalry
18:28so intense, including arguments concerning religion, nationalism, and conservative versus
18:32liberal policies.
18:34Lines between athletics and everyday life become blurred as a result, making a simple
18:38sports rivalry something that transcends a mere physical contest.
18:45Who do you support in some of these historic rivalries?
18:47Let us know in the comments!
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