This coming weekend, Barcelona and Real Madrid will meet for the third and last time this season in what could potentially be a title-deciding ElClasico. Eight points adrift of Los Blancos, Xavi Hernandez’s troops will need all three points at their temporary home ground, the Olympic Stadium – which is all sold out – amid rumours Blaugrana fans intend to make the atmosphere as uncomfortable as possible for their visiting enemies. Why, however, is there a passionate hatred between these two great LALIGA clubs? And how did the Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo debate, still being had by millions around the world today, contribute to this eternal resentment? Join Soccer Laduma’s Kurt Buckerfield in recalling the foundations of one of football’s most famous and intense rivalries!
Ronaldinho today, Messi tomorrow
Fans in South Africa will be licking their lips on Sunday night when Barcelona host Real Madrid in LALIGA. They’ll enjoy Vinicius Junior’s silky skills down Real’s left flank, they’ll shake their heads in disbelief when Pedri cleverly gets out of a tight situation in midfield with an Andres Iniesta-like body feint, and they will debate refereeing decisions with their friends on Facebook or at work on the Monday that follows. It is a game millions of people around the globe tune into, a match that perfectly encapsulates the essence of competitive football, and, depending on which team you chose to support as a youngster, it is a rivalry that could decide your taste for as long as you live! If, for example, it was Ronaldinho that first inspired you to watch Barcelona in the early 2000s, you’re more than likely to side with Argentina’s No.10 in the great Messi vs Ronaldo debate as that was the path you chose. If, however, you were attracted to Real in their iconic Galactico era, you stayed for the incredible nine-year spell Portugal’s all-time record goalscorer had in the Spanish capital between 2009 and 2018, and are now in the “Jude Bellingham over Pedri” camp. Next season, you might declare Endrick, the Brazilian teenager set to officially join the 14-time UEFA Champions League winners at the end of this campaign, as the best young player in the world over Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal.
