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Football · Level 9: Master · Sub-level 9.97

Football's Biggest Rivalries

10 tests · 100 facts · updated 12 October 2026 · markdown

The great rivalries in depth: the Old Firm, Boca and River, the two Milans, England's derbies, Germany's rivalries, Istanbul, Belgrade, Brazil's derbies, the national teams, and Africa and Asia.

Each test below is ten questions on Insporta. The list under a test is what the questions check: one fact per question, with the source it was written from. Read it before the test, or come back from a wrong answer.

Test 1The Old FirmTake a test

  1. Celtic's first ever match was against Rangers, who were then already sixteen years old.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. Both clubs profited from the big crowds the fixture drew, and the phrase mocked their partnership.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. The disaster on Stairway 13 led to the rebuilding of Ibrox as an all-seated stadium.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. The new company had to start at the bottom and took four seasons to return to the top flight.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. Johnston had played for Celtic and had seemed about to rejoin them.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Walter Smith's side equalled the nine of Stein's Celtic.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. Supporters suspected the clubs of arranging a draw for money and set the stadium on fire.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1888, 1909, 1971 and 2012.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. 1966-74, 1989-97 and 2012-20.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. Steven Gerrard's Rangers finished 25 points clear without losing a league match.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 2The Superclásico in depthTake a test

  1. Boca fans are still called 'Xeneizes', the Genoese.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. The founders are said to have taken the colours of the next ship to dock.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. River moved from La Boca to the richer north of the city, in Núñez.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. River spent one season in the second division and came straight back.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. It happened after a goalless Superclásico and remains Argentina's worst stadium disaster.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. River's players were attacked with pepper spray in the tunnel at half-time.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. River won 5-3 on aggregate; the first leg at La Bombonera ended 2-2.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1905, 1923, 1968 and 2011.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. November to December 2018.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. The only Superclásico in a continental final was settled more than 10,000 km from Buenos Aires.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 3The Derby della MadonninaTake a test

  1. English founders, among them Herbert Kilpin, set up the club; the English spelling 'Milan' remains.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. Meazza played for both clubs, mostly for Inter, and won two World Cups.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. Shevchenko scored twice in the rout.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. Both legs were at San Siro; Milan's 'away' goal in a 1-1 second leg decided it.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. Ronaldo joined Inter in 1997 and Milan in 2007.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Inter won both legs and lost the final to Manchester City.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. He won titles with Inter from 2007 to 2009 and with Milan in 2011 and 2022.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2023.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. Meazza in 1927, Ronaldo in 1997 and Ibrahimović in 2006.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. The name Internazionale reflects the founders' wish to be open to players from abroad.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 4English derbiesTake a test

  1. Supporters of both clubs traditionally sat side by side.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. The move into north London, near Tottenham, turned a local rivalry into a bitter one.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. When the division was enlarged, Arsenal were elected to it and Spurs were relegated.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. The railway workers' club became Manchester United in 1902; Ardwick and St Mark's were City's early names.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. United were relegated whatever the result, because other matches went against them.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. The north-east's two biggest clubs are about twelve miles apart.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. The day moves each season, when the league table makes it mathematically certain.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1892, 1913, 1974 and November 2004.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. Everton in 1878, Tottenham in 1882, Arsenal in 1886 and Liverpool in 1892.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. Everton fell out with John Houlding, who then founded Liverpool to play at the empty ground.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 5German rivalriesTake a test

  1. Naldo headed the equaliser in stoppage time.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. With about 25,000 standing places it is the largest terrace in European football.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. 1860 were Munich's bigger club in the 1960s; they left the Allianz Arena in 2017.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. The northern rivalry peaked when both challenged for titles in the 1980s.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. Bayern met his release clause; he missed the final through injury.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Dortmund received nothing for their leading scorer.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. The cities are about fifty kilometres apart across the Rhine region.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. April 2013, May 2013, 2014 and 2016.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. Köln won the first Bundesliga in 1964, Bayern in 1969, Gladbach in 1970 and Hamburg in 1979.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. It was the first all-German final; Bayern won 2-1.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 6The Istanbul derbyTake a test

  1. Fenerbahçe are from Kadıköy on the Asian side, Galatasaray from the European side.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. They beat Arsenal on penalties in Copenhagen and then won the Super Cup against Real Madrid.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. The gesture nearly caused a riot and made him a hero at Galatasaray.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. Galatasaray followed in 1905 and Fenerbahçe in 1907.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. The club was started by students of the old French-language school in Beyoğlu.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Hagi and Popescu were the Romanian stars of his side.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. Alex played for Fenerbahçe from 2004 to 2012 and scored in many derbies against Galatasaray.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1903, 1905 and 1907.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. April 2000, May 2000 and August 2000.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. The Bosphorus separates Europe from Asia in the middle of Istanbul.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 7The Eternal Derby of BelgradeTake a test

  1. Both were founded in 1945, in the first months of Tito's Yugoslavia.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. Partizan were the army club; Red Star grew out of the anti-fascist youth movement.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. Partizan led 1-0 in Brussels before Real scored twice; it was the first final for an Eastern European club.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. Pančev scored the winning penalty.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. Delije are Red Star's supporters; Torcida belongs to Hajduk Split.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Prosinečki, Savićević, Pančev and Mihajlović led a side that broke up with the country.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. Yugoslav clubs and the national team were banned from 1992 as the country fell apart.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1945, 1966, 1991 and 1992.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. 1986, 1991 and 1993; Red Star beat Marseille in the 1991 final.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. The final was played at the Stadio San Nicola in Bari.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 8Brazilian derbiesTake a test

  1. Flamengo was a rowing club; unhappy Fluminense players set up its football section.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. The playwright, a Fluminense fan, wrote about the derby for decades.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. The official figure of 194,603 is quoted as a world record for a match between clubs.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. The name joins the first letters of the two clubs.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. The two biggest clubs of São Paulo city have met since 1917.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Clubs with Italian names were forced to change them.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. Cruzeiro, founded by the Italian community, also changed their name during the war.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. Flamengo's rowing club dates from 1895, Vasco from 1898 and Fluminense from 1902.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. 1902, 1911, 1912 and 1963.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. Italian immigrants founded it; the name changed to Palmeiras in 1942.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 9National-team rivalriesTake a test

  1. The pictures of fans on the crossbar became symbols of the rivalry.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. It was England's first defeat since winning the 1966 World Cup.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. The two later made peace and appeared together in an advert.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. The semi-final win in Hamburg avenged 1974 for many Dutch fans.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. His penalty gave England a 1-0 win in Sapporo.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. The USA beat Mexico 2-0 in four World Cup qualifiers in Columbus, Ohio, and at the 2002 World Cup.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. After Germany scored early, both sides stopped attacking; FIFA then made final group matches kick off together.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1872, 1967, 1977 and 1996.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. 1974, 1988 and 1990.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. He flicked a leg at Diego Simeone after being fouled; England lost on penalties in Saint-Étienne.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Test 10Africa and AsiaTake a test

  1. Al Ahly was founded in 1907 and Zamalek in 1911.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  2. Motaung had played for Pirates before a spell in the United States.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  3. Their supporters are known for huge choreographies.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  4. Esteghlal were called Taj before 1979.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  5. The derby has been played since 1925.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  6. Their win over the East Yorkshire Regiment became a symbol of the independence movement.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  7. The Accra club against the Kumasi club.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  8. 1907, 1911, 1937 and 1970.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  9. 1889, 1911 and 1920.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

  10. Both clubs have their roots in Soweto, Johannesburg's great township.

    Source: Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries · applied

Sources

FIFA and UEFA official records / club records / contemporary match reports / published histories and biographies / audited club accounts

  • Club histories; competition records; contemporary reports on football's great rivalries100