One of the biggest sporting rivalries on earth reignites this weekend as Barcelona travels to the Santiago Bernabéu to face Real Madrid on Saturday for the first El Clásico of the season.
El Clásico is one of the most intense matches in all of world soccer, a rivalry with over a century of history between two of the sport's most iconic clubs that for diverse sporting, social and political reasons grew to despise each other.
Soccer greats like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano, Luis Figo, Sergio Ramos, Ronaldinho and countless others have elevated this rivalry into a different stratosphere. There's perhaps no other club game in the world that matches El Clásico's power to grab eyeballs from every corner of the globe.
It's true that El Clásico hasn't been as prominent ever since it reached perhaps the highest peak of its history during the late 2000s and into the 2010s with Messi and Ronaldo as main protagonists. However, there's a new wave of emerging talent in both teams that could revitalize this rivalry.
The game will see some of the best players in the world right now go head to head. Vinícius Júnior is the favorite to win the Ballon d'Or next Monday. Lamine Yamal continues to put in otherworldly performances as a teenager. Robert Lewandowski is back to being one of the best strikers in the game and Kylian Mbappé will get his first taste of this rivalry.
In case you need any convincing, here are five reasons to watch El Clásico this weekend.
