Biggest Rivalries in Sports

10. New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders (Hockey)

The Islanders-Rangers rivalry is one of the country’s classic inter-city rivalries, dating back decades. Rarely is there a defining moment where you can point to and say, “this is where it all started, right here,” but in the case of the Islanders and Rangers, you can pinpoint the exact moment the heated rivalry began.

Denis Potvin, the Islanders’ captain, made a hard hit on the Rangers’ starting rookie forward, Ulf Nilsson, on February 25th, 1979. Ulf Nilsson suffered a severe ankle injury as a result of the hit, and the Rangers lost their best scorer for the rest of the season. 

Immediately after the hit, the crowd slowly began chanting “Potvin sucks!” until the entire stadium was shouting the phrase. Over 40 years later and it is still impossible to attend a Rangers game without hearing the now-famous “Potvin sucks!” chant.

This New York rivalry is so strong that many New York betting apps  highlight and promote this matchup, knowing that the entire city of New York will be interested in this iconic battle year after year. 

9. Lebron James vs. Golden State Warriors (Basketball)

Most NBA players will never reach the NBA Finals, and many teams will go decades without reaching the NBA Finals. This is the reason why LeBron James (and his Cleveland Cavaliers) facing the Golden State Warriors in four consecutive NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, is a stretch of NBA Finals that will go down in the sport’s annals.

LeBron had a 7-15 record against the Warriors in those four series, winning only one of them. The four Finals series produced some legendary NBA moments, such as LeBron’s famous block on Iguodala in Game 7 of the second Finals series between the Cavaliers and Warriors in 2016, the same series in which the Warriors infamously fumbled a 3-1 lead.

When two opponents meet at the highest level of a sport on a regular basis, they become more than familiarized with one another, and a competitive rivalry is naturally born. LeBron James and the Warriors are no exception.

While the rivalry between LeBron and the Golden State Warriors has resulted in some heated and tense moments on the court, LeBron and many of the Warriors’ core star players are on great terms and are considered as some of the best friends in sports. Go figure.

8. Celtic F.C. vs. Rangers F.C. (Soccer)

The Celtics and Rangers rivalry is effectively Scotland’s version of Red vs Blue. Good vs Evil. Right vs Wrong. Which team, though, is which? Well, depending on which side you question, the response varies.

These two soccer clubs are so popular and mutually loathing of the other, that they have essentially divided the entire nation into two camps. 

In Scotland, it’s either Rangers or Celtics, and no wiggle room in between. If you’re born into a Rangers family, you WILL support the Rangers until you’re six feet under, and vice versa for Celtics supporters. No discussion. 

The atmosphere that is created when these two teams compete is regarded as one of the most hostile yet exciting settings in all of sports.

These two clubs are just incompatible, like oil and water. 

7. Lakers vs. Celtics (Basketball)

While the Lakers and Celtics’ rivalry was at its most bitter between the 1960s and 1980s, these two teams also share a common history that will eternally compare these two storied franchises.

With 17 championship titles each, they are the two NBA teams with the most trophies of all time. Many of which were obtained by defeating the other. Together, they are responsible for 34 of the 76 NBA championships in history (45%).

They have a passionate rivalry that was sparked by their domination in competition as the two greatest franchises in NBA history. Each is competing to become the franchise with the most accolades in the sport.

6. Liverpool F.C. vs. Manchester United (Soccer)

Often referred to as the fiercest foes in English sports, the Liverpool – Manchester rivalry runs deeper than just soccer.

For decades, these two cities have been competing on more than just the soccer field. For generations, these two working-class cities have competed in music, culture, and industry.

It doesn’t matter if either team is at the top or bottom of the league; when these two teams meet, it creates a Champions League Final-esque atmosphere, with each city’s pride and honor on the line.

Because both clubs have massive global fan bases, this rivalry is one of the most popular and well-known in the world. 

5. Michigan vs. Ohio State (College Football)

While college football may not have the global appeal of some of the other rivalries on this list, that doesn’t change the fact that these two schools have one of the strongest rivalries in the world.

This matchup, known as “The Game” in the United States, is an extremely well-known fixture in American sports.

These two teams are constantly competing for the title, which only adds fuel to an already raging fire.

The Game’s palpable electric atmosphere can even be felt by non-fans of the sport; it’s that big in the US. 

4. Giants vs. Dodgers (Baseball)

Often referred to as one of the greatest rivalries in sports history, the Giants and Dodgers’ hatred for one another spans centuries as well as coastlines.

Their rivalry dates back to 1889, when both teams were based in New York City, and has continued to this day. These two clubs have played over 2,500 games against each other and have nearly identical records in those games.

When the Brooklyn Dodgers’ owner decided to relocate the team to Los Angeles, he persuaded the owners of the New York Giants to follow suit and relocate the rivalry as well.

These two teams are also the most successful in terms of pennant titles in the National League, making the rivalry even more interesting and competitive.

In California, there is already an internal rivalry between the north and south, and this great historic rivalry only serves to exacerbate it.

If you go to a Giants-Dodgers game in San Francisco, you’ll almost certainly hear Oracle Park erupt into a “Beat LA!” chant multiple times, whereas in Los Angeles, you’ll be showered with “Giants suck!” chants (until about the 7th or 8th inning when Dodgers fan notoriously leave early).  

3. Yankees vs. Red Sox (Baseball)

The classic rivalry in American sports. Yankees vs Red Sox.

This is one of the longest-running rivalries in American sports, dating back to 1901 and rivaling the Dodgers and Giants.

Back in 1919, the Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees, igniting one of the most dominant dynasties in American sports history. The Yankees’ run of dominance coincided with the Red Sox’s 86-year title drought, known colloquially as the “Curse of the Bambino,” which, in a sport rife with superstitious belief, was more than enough to fuel the fires of baseball’s greatest rivalry.

It should come as no surprise that two teams that have spent decades competing at the highest level for American League dominance are not fans of one another. These two clubs met in back-to-back ALCS (2003 & 2004) in the early 2000s, further cementing their rivalry as the gold standard of rivalries in US sports.

2. India vs. Pakistan (Cricket)

Few countries in the world enjoy cricket more than India and Pakistan. It is a sport in which they take great pride and which is used as a metric to compare their nations.

The long-standing sibling-like rivalry between these two countries is one of the most intense in the world, across all sports.

When these two countries square off on the field, it captures the attention of everyone in both countries, even those who don’t usually care about sports.

It has taken the place of a normal sporting rivalry between two clubs and has evolved into a display of national pride between these neighboring countries.

1. F.C. Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (Soccer)

Whether you are a soccer or sports fan in general, you have almost certainly heard of “El Classico.” It literally means “the classic.”

For decades, these two Spanish football titans have been competing for the Spanish league title and bragging rights as the best club in the world.

This matchup is consistently one of the most-watched sporting events year after year, thanks to an international fan base that reaches every corner of the globe.

This rivalry, however, represents much more than just two great clubs competing to be the best.

It is a physical manifestation of the country’s social and political issues, with Real Madrid representing the Spanish monarchy and FC Barcelona representing Catalonia’s anti-fascist and anti-monarchy beliefs.

This rivalry is one of the deepest and most meaningful in the world, and it deserves to be recognized as the biggest rivalry in all of sports. It is a combination of competitive soccer played at the highest level and a reflection of a deeper national conflict.