Real Madrid may view Barcelona as their biggest rivals, but one thing El Clásico lacks is the ultimate battle for local supremacy.
Fortunately for Los Blancos, they also get to enjoy the fierce nature of a local derby every time they go up against city rivals Atletico Madrid.
The Madrid derby, known in Spain as El Derbi Madrileño, has a case to be considered the biggest local rivalry in Spain, although Real Betis and Sevilla fans may have something to say about that claim.
The rivalry may be between Madrid's two biggest clubs, but it has not been confined to the Spanish capital and has been carried onto the biggest stages in football, notably two Champions League finals.
Here, Football Ground Guide delves into the origins, history and head-to-head record of this bitter rivalry between Real Madrid and Atletico.
History and Origin of the Madrid derby
The first derby on record was played on December 2, 1906 – a game that was won 2-1 by Real Madrid, who were then known as Madrid CF.
However, there is a belief that the rivalry actually goes as far back as 1903 when the club was founded as Athletic Club Sucursal de Madrid. A group of students created the club after watching Athletic Club de Bilbao beat Madrid CF in the Copa del Rey final in Madrid. The feeling was that the Spanish capital needed a team that was a reflection of the one in Bilbao.
Around the same time, other clubs in the capital city were being absorbed by Madrid CF, who eventually changed their name to Real Madrid in 1920 after being given the title by King Alfonso XIII.
As for Atletico, they became Athletic Aviación de Madrid in 1939 following a merger with Aviacion Nacional – a team that had been founded by avaition officers of the Spanish Air Force during the Civil War. The team would experience another name change in 1940 when the dictator Francisco Franco banned teams from using names that were not classed as Spanish, resulting in the change of Athletic to Atletico. They experienced their final name change in 1947, opting for Club Atlético de Madrid after deciding to move away from the military links in their name.
Atletico would go on to enjoy one of the most successul periods winning league titles in 1940, 1941, 1950 and 1951, before Real Madrid hit back with LaLiga triumphs in four out of five seasons from 1953-54 to 1957-58.
Thirty years on from their first official La Liga meeting in 1929, Real Madrid and Atletico met for the first time in European competition in 1959 when they faced off on three occasions from April 23 to May 13. Real Madrid won 2-1 in the first leg of the European Cup semi-finals, lost 1-0 in the away leg, before they prevailed 2-1 in the subsequent replay in Zaragoza. Los Blancos would go on to win their fourth consecutive European Cup with a 2-0 victory over French side Reims in the final in Stuttgart.
Head-to-head record between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid
Given Real Madrid's status as the most successful European club, it is unsurprising to see that they have the upper hand over their local rivals in the head-to-head record.
Total meetings: 242
Real Madrid: 118
Draws: 63
Atletico Madrid: 61
Real Madrid and Atletico have taken their rivalry into a number of different competitions: La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the now-defunct Copa de la Liga.
Key and notable Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid matches
May 24, 2014: Real Madrid 4-1 (a.e.t) Atletico Madrid (Champions League final)
The game that Real Madrid fans will remember forever and the one that Atleti supporters wish they could wipe from their memory. Los Colchoneros were just moments away from winning their first Champions League trophy after Diego Godin had headed his side into the lead.
However, Sergio Ramos broke Atleti hearts when he powered home a 93rd-minute header to send the 2013-14 final to extra time. With momentum firmly in their favour, Los Blancos ran riot in the additional 30 minutes, with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo all scoring to clinch La Decima.
May 28, 2016: Real Madrid 1-1 (5-4 on pens) Atletico Madrid (Champions League final)
Two years later, Atletico experienced more Champions League final heartbreak when they faced their city rivals at the San Siro. Ramos scored the opener on this occasion before Yannick Carrasco levelled the scoreline in the 79th minute, sending the tie to extra time and then penalties.
Unfortunately for Diego Simeone's side, Juanfran dragged Atleti's fourth spot-kick against the upright, which allowed Ronaldo to step up to dispatch the Champions League-winning penalty.
June 26, 1960: Atletico Madrid 3-1 Real Madrid (Copa del Rey final)
While Atletico have lost two Champions League finals to their arch-rivals, they have fared better in the Copa del Rey, having won four of their five finals against Los Blancos.
The first of those successes took place in June 1960, when the competition was known as the Copa del Generalismo due to the Franco dictatorship. Enrique Collar, Miguel Jones and Joaquin Peiro all found the net as Atleti came from behind to win 3-1 against Miguel Munoz's Real Madrid side that contained iconic names like Paco Gento, Alfredo di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas.
After lifting the club's first Copa, Jose Villalonga's side would go on to repeat the feat in the following season with a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid.
May 17, 2013: Atletico Madrid 2-1 (a.e.t) Real Madrid (Copa del Rey final)
Fifty-three years on from lifting their first Copa, Atleti outlasted their city neighbours to win the competition for the third time in 2013.
Ronaldo headed Jose Mourinho's side in front in the 14th minute, only for his effort to be cancelled out by Atletico striker Diego Costa. With neither side able to find a winner in regulation time, another 30 minutes were required to separate Madrid's two biggest clubs. Atleti defender Miranda ultimately won the game for his team, flicking a header in from Koke's cross to score what proved to be his only goal in the Copa del Rey. The centre-back's goal proved decisive, but that was not the end of the drama because Ronaldo and Gabi were sent off in the closing stages.
The win was made extra special by the fact that it took place at the Santiago Bernabéu, was their first win over Real Madrid since 1999, and ended the club's 17-year wait for Copa del Rey glory.
September 27, 2025: Atletico Madrid 5-2 Real Madrid (La Liga)
Time will tell whether this game is remembered as one of the iconic games in Madrid derby history, but it was a historic occasion due to the fact that Atleti scored five goals against their city rivals for the first time since a 6-3 victory in November 1960.
The contest was finely poised at two goals apiece at the break, before Julian Alvarez took control of the game with a 12-minute brace. The Argentine scored its first from the penalty spot and then produced a stunning free-kick to take Atleti's tally to four. Antoine Griezmann completed the stunning win to end Real Madrid's five-game winning start to the league season.
Standout records in Madrid derby history
Most appearances: Koke (44)
Atletico legend Koke took the outright record for the most Madrid derby appearances when he featured in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final defeat in January 2026. The midfielder has made 44 appearances in the historic rivalry, one more than Sergio Ramos and two more than Luka Modric, Paco Gento and Manolo Sanchis.
Top Scorer: Cristiano Ronaldo (22)
Ronaldo has the honour of being the leading scorer in this prestigious fixture. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner netted 22 goals in 31 Madrid derby appearances, including three hat-tricks.
Real Madrid icon Alfredo Di Stefano scored 17 goals in this fixture, while Raul and Santillana netted 15 times in the Madrid derby. Meanwhile, Paco Campos is Atleti's leading scorer against Real Madrid with 12 goals.
Biggest winning margin:
The largest margin of victory in Madrid derby history is a 5-0 scoreline that has been seen on three separate occasions. Atletico Madrid were the first team to achieve that margin of victory in November 1947, before Los Blancos ran out 5-0 winners in a La Liga contest in November 1958 and October 1983.