30 best soccer rivalries in the world
One of the greatest things about sport is rivalry. Whether it be a friendly rivalry with your college roommate at FIFA, or a full-blown city rivalry, sport is full of them and they are enthralling, passionate and full of drama. Sport is a truly wonderful thing, and rivalry in sport is fascinating.
The long-lasting rivalries of the Redskins and Cowboys, Yankees and Red Sox, Ohio State and Michigan have people on tenterhooks. It’s unacceptable to not have a side, a viewpoint an opinion.
A rivalry is defined as a situation where people compete for the same thing. In sport, like in perhaps no other walk of life, competition exists between two groups of people for the same thing. The glory of a rivalry is timeless, and the bragging rights are invaluable for supporters.
Soccer is bustling with rivalries. Teams, fans and players hating the others. Some are local derbies, some are rivalries produced out of long-lasting success, some are simply because the teams don’t like each other. They have developed over years and years of competition, great games, stunning victories and horrific losses. What is common between all of them, however, is that, in any way, shape or form, they do not get along with each other. Not at all. They never have, they never will.
Perhaps the best way to describe the feelings of a rivalry is to consider the feelings one has towards those who act within the rivalry. French writer, Anatole France, sums it up perfectly: “The actions that we glorify become odious when performed by the enemy.”
Without further ado, here are the best rivalries in soccer.
30. Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United
We start with a typical English local derby. The Steel City plays host to the oldest football club in Sheffield FC. The city has soccer in its blood and like many local rivalries, a side must be chosen. Wednesday are the more successful of the two clubs, hosting great teams during the glory days of the 90s. With quality players like Chris Waddle, David Hirst and the enigmatic Paulo Di Canio, Wednesday made claim to the title of one of the greatest teams in England. Wednesday have historically had the majority of the success, although United were most recently in the Premier League under Neil Warnock’s management.
Perhaps the most famous encounter occurred in 1993 in the semi finals of the FA Cup. Both teams had a rather empty trophy cabinet, and the chance to win the biggest cup competition in English club football was an opportunity both clubs were desperate to grasp. The FA were actually forced to move the match to Wembley Stadium after pressure from supporters, and the Steel City Derby produced one of the most memorable semi finals of all time. Wednesday were victorious 2-1 with goals from Chris Waddle and Mark Bright, but extra time was required. United fans made the trip North brokenhearted while Owls’ fans were flying high.
Both teams now reside in the lower echelons of English football, with United struggling for promotion from league 1 and Wednesday gradually climbing the Championship table. Both are looking for promotion, and both are much bigger than their league position suggests, and both hate the other. A truly fierce rival that has existed for years, and will exist for years to come.