Superclásico

Lore & Background

The two clubs Boca and River Plate both have origins in La Boca, the working class dockland area of Buenos Aires, with River being founded in 1901 and Boca in 1905. River moved to the affluent district of Núñez in the north of the city in 1925. Since then, Boca Juniors has been known as the club of Argentina's working class or the people's club, with many Boca fans coming from the local Italian immigrant community. River Plate became known by the nickname Los Millonarios (The Millionaires), with a supposedly upper-class support base. The first official match of the rivalry, the 1913 Superclásico, was played on August 24, 1913 at Racing Club Stadium, with River winning 2–1. The rivalry is noted for the passion of the fans, with colorful banners, chanting, and fireworks. Boca fans refer to River supporters as "gallinas" ("chickens"), while River fans call Boca rivals "los chanchitos" ("little pigs") and "bosteros" ("manure collectors"). The Puerta 12 tragedy on June 23, 1968, at El Monumental killed 71 fans and injured 150.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over the packed stands of Estadio Azteca as the air grew thick with anticipation. On one side, a sea of red and white waved flags of Jalisco's pride; on the other, blue and gold banners of the capital stretched endlessly. The referee blew the whistle, and the roar was deafening—a sound that had echoed for generations. A midfielder in blue intercepted a pass, his eyes locked on the goal, knowing that every touch here carried the weight of history.

Reader's Guide

The Superclásico is known worldwide as one of the fiercest and most important derbies. In April 2004, The Observer put it at the top of their list of "50 sporting things you must do before you die". In 2016, FourFourTwo considered it the "biggest derby in the world". That same year The Daily Telegraph ranked it as the "biggest club rivalry in world football", and the Daily Mirror placed it number one in the top 50 football derbies in the world in 2017. Notable events include River's relegation in 2011, the 2015 Copa Libertadores pepper spray incident, and the 2018 Copa Libertadores Finals bus attack that led to the match being moved to Madrid.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Clásico' originated in Argentina with this match up and was later exported to Spain and Mexico.
• According to some statistics, River Plate and Boca Juniors command more than 70% of all Argentine football fans between them.
• The first official Superclásico was played on August 24, 1913, with River winning 2–1.
• The Puerta 12 tragedy in 1968 killed 71 fans, the worst incident in Argentine football history.