No other derby on earth resonates quite as much as El Clasico. From Boca-River and Nacional-Penarol to Lazio-Roma and Celtic-Rangers, others can certainly compete in terms of history and passion, but none possess the level of quality that gives Barcelona-Real Madrid its mass appeal.
The globalisation of the game has seen the world’s top talent flock to the two Spanish giants over recent decades at a rate never previously seen, and a number of high-profile Brazilians have certainly played their part in the fixture’s great history.
This weekend three Selecao stars are expected to start, with Madrid’s Marcelo and Casemiro set to face-off against Barca’s Neymar, and all three would be more than happy to have anything like the impact Ronaldinho had in 2005, when the Barcelona superstar was received a standing ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu.