El Superclásico (Boca v. River)
- Iconic Teams
- Apr 21
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 24
Football is the stage for some of the greatest rivalries in sports: Real Madrid v. FC Barcelona, Rangers v. Celtic, and Galatasaray v. Fenerbahce. Among them stands the Argentine Superclásico - the fierce clash between Boca Juniors and River Plate. Boca legend Juan Román Riquelme described the event as the "most beautiful game in the world”. (1) Founded four years before Boca Juniors, River Plate sprouted out of the same La Boca neighborhood following the merger of Santa Rosa and La Rosales. The first-ever Superclásico was played on August 24, 1913, with Boca falling 2-1 in the first of many heated, emotion-filled encounters.
In 1925, River moved out of the working-class, immigrant neighborhood of La Boca and into Núñez, an affluent, northern suburb of Buenos Aires. This ignited the rivalry, as the match was not only played between the two teams but also represented a clash of social classes. The Superclásico emerged as a “proxy manifestation of societal tensions; Boca became known as the people’s clubs while River Plate’s supporters were dubbed Los Millionarios.” (2) River’s relocation also highlighted the differing philosophies of the teams, as Boca’s win-at-all-costs, passionate, and at times ugly style of play was juxtaposed by River’s formulaic and tactical style of play. (3) As it stands today, Boca's holds a triumphant 126-107 record against their bitter Buenos Aires rival. Over the past century, the clash of these opposing ethos, combined with deep socioeconomic and cultural divides, has created one of the most intense rivalries in world sport.
(1) “Los Mejores Frases En La Historia Del Superclásico Entre River y Boca.” ESPN, September 20, 2024.
English translation of “Es el Partido más lindo del mundo”
(2) Rapaport, Daniel. “Going inside the Madness of the Superclasico: Argentina’s Boca Juniors-River Plate Rivalry.” SI, February 28, 2017.
(3) Grimes, Mitchell. “Boca Juniors & River Plate Fan Rivalry and History.” Ultra Football, September 13, 2021.
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