Football
Is el clásico still the world’s biggest match? Three questions before Barcelona v Real Madrid
The fixture’s relevance waned as the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry faded. Can Lamine Yamal and Mbappé lift it into a new era?
Published 23 October 2026 at 09:00 UTC
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Barcelona y Real Madrid golean antes de ELCLÁSICO; Mbappé brilla | JORNADA DE TRES · LALIGA on YouTube
What happened
For the best part of a decade, el clásico was more than just soccer’s biggest fixture. It was the defining narrative. At the peak of the Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo era, there were clásicos everywhere. Yes, when the two historic rivals clashed on the pitch, but also in the vot