#4 The age-old rivalry with FC Barcelona
It is always said that having a great rival to compete with ensures better performances. In the case of Real Madrid and their arch-rival FC Barcelona, it is very true. These two are the most successful teams in Spain and have constantly competed against each other for trophies.
As a result, more often than not, these teams are the ones fighting for the league title every season and their rivalry runs deeper than football, with the Catalan culture of Barcelona being vastly different from Madrid’s culture. Further, Barcelona’s core ideology is of getting players through the system (although this has reduced in recent years) while Real Madrid are known for signing Galacticos or superstars, although their academy keeps producing top players as well.
Also Read: Why Real Madrid versus FC Barcelona is known as El Clasico
So, when these two teams clash in what is termed as the El Clasico, the entire footballing world comes to a stand-still. This rivalry has further intensified in this decade as it gets billed as a clash between the two best players of this generation in Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have benefitted on and off the pitch due to their rivalry and this is one more reason why Madrid is one of the most famous clubs in the world.
