Over 30 players have had the honour, or perhaps the tenacity, of playing for both Barcelona and Real Madrid in their careers, achieving varying levels of success. Sometimes these transfers have occurred years apart, while other times they have been direct moves.
Regardless, players who switch sides often face disdain from the fans of the club they left due to the fierce rivalry between these two behemoths of world football.
When Barcelona and Real Madrid compete, the match is referred to as ‘El Clasico', which simply translates to ‘The Classic' in English. This name reflects the intense rivalry between these two teams, which represent the two largest cities in Spain that have historically held polar-opposite political views.
Both clubs are among the richest in the world, contributing to a fierce, grudge-like rivalry that few other football rivalries can match.
El Clasico – a football rivalry with political undertones
Many football fans, particularly those outside of Spain, often misinterpret El Clasico as a typical football derby. However, this is not the case. It is more accurate to compare it to a match between Manchester United and Liverpool or, to some extent, a classic Manchester derby.
Even a Madrid derby featuring Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid does not quite match the significance of El Clasico.
Every football season, fans of La Liga look forward to an iconic matchup between Los Blancos (Real Madrid) and Barcelona. The political undertones associated with this classic clash are always evident.
Since Los Blancos and the Catalans meet at least twice each season in La Liga, there is always an opportunity for revenge or to break a tie. Regardless of which team has historically won more El Clasico matches, each new encounter feels like a fresh start, as head-to-head records take a backseat.
While big names have made history in El Clasico, elevating the rivalry to new heights like the famous clash between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, there is no way either of them could have switched allegiances during their time at Los Blancos and Barcelona.
Messi was synonymous with Barcelona, while Cristiano Ronaldo represented Real Madrid during their respective careers in Spain.
However, some notable players have switched sides over the years, playing for both Barcelona and Real Madrid during their careers in Spain. Our list includes six well-known players who switched between the two Spanish giants. We will detail each player’s record and discuss their time at both clubs.
A new era of El Clásico kicks off today 🤩 pic.twitter.com/rjIoGWqOvM
— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 26, 2024
Gheorghe Hagi
- Appearances/Goals for Barcelona: 51/11
- Appearances/Goals for Real Madrid: 84/20
Romania's finest-ever player possessed a wind of a left foot and an abundance of skill and vision. Due to his small stature, he was often compared to Argentina legend Diego Maradona during his career.
Hagi joined Real Madrid in 1990 but failed to claim the La Liga title before leaving for Brescia two years later, where he suffered relegation in his first campaign and stayed at the club, helping to take them back to Serie A at the first attempt before making the move to Barcelona. Like his time at Madrid, Hagi stayed for two seasons in Catalonia, failed to win the league, and couldn't hold down a regular first-team place.
Luis Enrique
- Appearances/Goals for Barcelona: 300/109
- Appearances/Goals for Real Madrid: 213/18
Possibly the greatest utility player to play for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, Luis Enrique was able to play across the midfield and even up front and was best known for his consistency.
Enrique earned the move to Real in 1991 after impressing at Sporting Gijon and stayed in the Spanish capital for five seasons, where he was a regular in a trophy-winning side.
However, the versatile Spain international left Real Madrid on a free transfer after claiming he was ‘unappreciated' and made the move to arch-rivals Barcelona. The Barcelona fans didn't take to Luis Enrique straight away, but his consistent performances and El Clasico goals saw him become a favourite with the Catalonians.
Luis Figo
- Appearances/Goals for Barcelona: 249/45
- Appearances/Goals for Real Madrid: 239/57
Surely the bitterest of all the trades between these two clubs, Luis Figo played for five seasons at Barcelona before making the move to Real Madrid, where he completed five more campaigns.
When he left the Blaugrana, Figo was the best player in the world, and the Barcelona fans felt cheated when the Portuguese international chose to move to their club's arch-rivals.
When the two sides next met, Figo was greeted with ‘Traitor' and ‘Judas' banners, and objects, including a pig's head, were thrown his way any time he went near the touchline, which showed just what the Barcelona fans thought of him.
Figo collected several pieces of silverware on both sides of the divide. The Portuguese star won two league titles, two Copa del Rey winners' medals, two Spanish Super Cups, a Cup Winners' Cup and a UEFA Super Cup during his time with Barcelona. Meanwhile, for Real Madrid, he lifted two La Liga trophies, two Spanish Super Cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup.
Ronaldo
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- Appearances/Goals for Barcelona: 49/47
- Appearances/Goals for Real Madrid: 177/104
Ronaldo remains one of the very few former Barcelona and Real Madrid players that is still thought of fondly by both sets of supporters. The Brazilian striker only played one season at the Camp Nou in 1996/97 but scored an amazing 47 goals in just 49 appearances, winning the Copa del Rey, Super Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup.
Ronaldo made the move to Real Madrid in 2002, where he won one league title in his five seasons at the club but still managed an excellent goals-to-games ratio.
Michael Laudrup
- Appearances/Goals for Barcelona: 217/55
- Appearances/Goals for Real Madrid: 76/15
Laudrup is often considered the best Scandinavian footballer of all time, so it isn't that much of a surprise that he could play for two of the biggest clubs in European football. Johan Cruyff signed Laudrup for his vision and goals from midfield, and together the pair secured four La Liga titles on the run.
However, a disagreement between the two saw Laudrup move to Barcelona's arch-rivals Real Madrid. In his first season at the Bernabeu, Laudrup secured another La Liga title. Famously, the Danish international played in two 5-0 El Clasico wins, one for Barcelona and one for Real Madrid.
Samuel Eto'o
- Appearances/Goals for Barcelona: 199/130
- Appearances/Goals for Real Madrid: 7/0
Eto'o signed for Real Madrid as a youngster but never made the grade, appearing just seven times before making the move to Mallorca, where he netted 70 goals in 162 appearances during a four-year spell which included a Copa del Rey triumph.
The striker's performances for the island club earned him a big move to Barcelona in 2004. Eto'o would go on to win three La Liga titles, two Champions Leagues and a Copa del Rey during his time with the Blaugrana, demonstrating why he is more synonymous with the Catalan giants than he is with Los Blancos.
6 players who have played for Barcelona AND Real Madrid 🤔 pic.twitter.com/3COh0UZtQL
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 21, 2018
Players who just missed out
- Javier Saviola also played for both clubs, but despite his move from Barcelona to Real Madrid, the Catalan fans have forgiven the diminutive Argentinian, as he struggled during his time in the capital.
- Miquel Soler is worth mentioning as well; he played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid's city rivals, Espanyol and Atletico Madrid, making him a great trivia answer.
- The famous German international Bernd Schuster played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid in the 1980s, winning league titles with both clubs.
- Albert Celades won titles at both Barcelona and Real Madrid, but his contributions were minimal during his time at each club.
- Croatian midfielder Robert Prosinecki had injury-plagued spells at both Real Madrid and Barcelona, preventing him from showcasing his true talent to the fans of either club. He later played for Portsmouth toward the end of his career.