Barçelona has defeated their longest standing and most iconic rival, Real Madrid, for the trophy of the Supercopa España.

This victory marks Barçelona’s 127th all leagues win since the establishment of the two clubs’ fierce rivalry. Real Madrid lays claim to 111 total wins against Barçelona across all leagues and competitions.

Within their home league LaLiga, Real Madrid leads, with 79 wins, and Barçelona with 75 wins.

The two clubs, Barçelona and Real Madrid’s rivalry has become known as “El Clasico.”

But now you may wonder, how has the fiercest rivalry in all of football come to be?

El Clasico has a deep rooted history in Spain’s political and cultural history. These clubs do not simply represent two teams aspiring to be champions, but the clash of two cultures, Catalan and Spain.

The Catalan people are an ethnic group found within an autonomous zone in Spain called “Catalonia,” in which resides the city of Barçelona. The Catalan people and their language had been suppressed for a long period of time in Spain’s history.

During the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s, the Spanish had a dictatorship under the leadership of Francisco Franco. During and after this time, Franco wished to suppress Catalan culture, and did so through brutal tactics of torture and murders. FC Barçelona no longer simply represented a simple Spanish football team, but instead the Catalan culture, and every match against the Real Madrid club was a symbol of resistance, as Real Madrid represented the Spanish dictatorship to many at the time.

The blue and red colors for Barçelona, and the white and gold of Real Madrid were no longer just football clubs, but instead an adoption of political and cultural beliefs. El Clasico is of the most intense and fiercest rivalries in all of sports, perhaps the most intense ever.

So, Visca Barça, o Hala Madrid?