Football rivalries in Argentina

The derbies of Argentine football are characterized by historical rivalries and the intense passion of the clubs' supporters. A distinction is usually made between historic and modern derbies; the latter emerge when at least one of the teams already had a previous rivalry with another club, eventually becoming their new primary derby. In some cases, these new rivalries gain momentum as the importance of historic derbies diminishes due to a lack of regular matches, especially when clubs compete in different divisions for prolonged periods.

Matches between the so-called "Big Five" (in alphabetical order: Boca Juniors, Independiente, Racing Club, River Plate and San Lorenzo de Almagro) are also considered derbies, although historically not all of them have viewed each other as arch-rivals (with the exception of Boca and River in the Superclásico, and Independiente and Racing in the Avellaneda derby).

Football is the most popular sport in Argentina. This leads to derbies being followed with great interest, in some cases even beyond the country's borders. The most notable historical rivalries are outlined below.

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