What Is a Derby in Football? Meaning and Famous Derbies

What is a derby in football? A derby is a match between two local rivals, two teams from the same city or the same part of a country. In fact, the players know each other, and the fans live on the same streets. The result decides the bragging rights until the next meeting. Overall, this guide explains the meaning of the word, where it comes from, and the most famous derbies in the world.

Last updated: November 2026

Quick Answer

• What is a derby in football? A match between two local rivals from the same city or the same part of a country.
• The word can also describe a deep historic rivalry between teams from different cities, such as Liverpool v Manchester United.
• The oldest derby in the world is Sheffield FC v Hallam FC, first played on 26 December 1860.
• A derby is about local pride and bragging rights, and form often counts for less than in an ordinary match.
• Famous derbies include El Clásico, the Old Firm and the Superclásico.

What Is a Derby in Football? The Meaning

A derby is a fixture between two teams that share a place. The two clubs come from the same city, such as Arsenal and Tottenham in London. Alternatively, they come from the same part of a country, such as Newcastle and Sunderland in the north-east of England. In addition, the fans live and work side by side, so the result follows them to work and to school the next morning.

The word can also describe a match between two teams with a deep historic rivalry, even when the clubs come from different cities. For example, Liverpool v Manchester United is the best example. The two cities sit about 35 miles apart, yet the fixture carries the same heat as a city derby. Indeed, the rivalry has grown over more than a century.

A derby is not a competition and not a trophy. In other words, it is a type of match, and any two local rivals can play one, in a league match, a cup tie or a friendly. The label comes from the rivalry, not from the competition.

Where Does the Word “Derby” Come From?

The traditional explanation traces the word to the Epsom Derby, a famous horse race first run in 1780 and named after Edward Smith-Stanley, the 12th Earl of Derby. As a result, the race became the biggest day in British racing. The word “derby” came to mean any big, popular sporting event. Later, around the early 1900s, people applied the word to a fixture between two local sides. They first called it a “local Derby”, and then shortened it to “derby”.

A newer theory gives a different origin. In “The Derby Game: A History of Local Rivalries” (2023), Ian Collis argues that the term “local derby” comes from the annual Shrovetide football game. In fact, that game has been played for centuries in the English town of Derby. The first citation found for “local derby” is 14 April 1888, in the Grantham Journal, about a match between Grantham and Grantham Rovers.

Neither explanation is settled fact. In short, the Epsom Derby story is the traditional one, and the Shrovetide theory is newer research. Both show the same point: the word grew out of English sporting life long before it became a football term.

The Oldest Derbies in Football

The oldest football derby in the world is the Rules derby: Sheffield FC v Hallam FC, first played on 26 December 1860. Indeed, it is the oldest football fixture in the world. Both clubs come from Sheffield.

The Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, was first held in 1888. Since then, the two clubs have met hundreds of times. As a result, the fixture has become one of the most famous rivalries in world football.

The first derby in Spain was played in Barcelona between FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol on 23 December 1900. Similarly, the two clubs share the same city, and their rivalry has run ever since.

Overall, these early derbies show that local rivalry is as old as organised football itself: as soon as two clubs shared a town, their meetings mattered more than ordinary matches.

Famous Derbies Around the World

In fact, every football country has its own great derby. The table below lists the most famous examples. It is a list of famous derbies, not a ranking, because different sources rank them differently.

Derby	Clubs	Country
El Clásico	Real Madrid v Barcelona	Spain
Superclásico	Boca Juniors v River Plate	Argentina
Old Firm	Celtic v Rangers	Scotland
Derby della Madonnina	AC Milan v Inter Milan	Italy
Derby della Capitale	AS Roma v Lazio	Italy
North West Derby	Liverpool v Manchester United	England
Manchester Derby	Manchester United v Manchester City	England
North London Derby	Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur	England
Merseyside Derby	Liverpool v Everton	England
Tyne-Wear Derby	Newcastle United v Sunderland	England
Revierderby	Borussia Dortmund v Schalke 04	Germany
Der Klassiker	Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich	Germany
Cairo Derby	Al Ahly v Zamalek	Egypt
Eternal Derby	Partizan Belgrade v Red Star Belgrade	Serbia

The Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate has been played more than 250 times. In addition, many of the derbies in the table share a stadium or a city. Others, such as the North West Derby and Der Klassiker, are rivalries between cities that grew into derbies over time.

Derbies in England

England has more famous derbies than any other country. For example, the North London Derby pits Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur, and the Merseyside Derby pits Liverpool against Everton. The Manchester Derby brings Manchester United and Manchester City together. The Tyne-Wear Derby brings Newcastle United and Sunderland together.

The North West Derby between Liverpool and Manchester United stands apart, because it is not a city derby at all. In fact, it is a rivalry between two great clubs from different cities in the north-west of England. For the full story of the league that hosts most of these fixtures, read our history of the Premier League.

What Is a Derby in Football? Why Form Counts for Less

Fans say that form counts for less in a derby than in an ordinary match. For example, a struggling team can raise its game against its local rival. A team in good form can freeze under the pressure of the occasion. After all, the players know what the game means to the supporters, and the crowd lifts the home side with its noise.

That is why derbies surprise people so often. For instance, a team that has lost three matches in a row can still beat its neighbour, because the players run harder, tackle harder and fight for every ball. In short, heart and pride can matter as much as quality in a derby.

What Is a Derby in Football? What Makes It Special

Local pride sits at the heart of every derby. In short, the winning fans gain the bragging rights, and the losing fans hear about it for weeks. The supporters live and work side by side, so the result is personal in a way an ordinary match never is.

In addition, the atmosphere sets a derby apart. The noise is louder, the colour is brighter, and the tension is higher from the first whistle. In particular, players who grew up supporting one of the clubs feel it most of all. They know the faces in the crowd.

What Is a Derby in Football? How to Watch One

A derby is best watched with the sound on and the fixture list in hand. First, check when the next meeting falls, and watch the build-up fill the week before the match. Meanwhile, the managers talk about the rivalry, and the fans sing about it.

Follow the next matches on our free live scores page. Read our guide to the history of the World Cup for the story of the tournament where national rivalries play out on the biggest stage.

Frequently Asked Questions About What Is a Derby in Football

These are the questions fans ask most about what is a derby in football.

What is a derby in football?

A derby is a match between two local rivals from the same city or the same part of a country. The word can also describe a deep historic rivalry between teams from different cities.

Why is it called a derby?

The traditional explanation traces it to the Epsom Derby horse race, first run in 1780. A newer theory traces it to the Shrovetide football game in the town of Derby. Neither is settled fact.

What is the oldest derby in the world?

The oldest football derby in the world is Sheffield FC v Hallam FC, first played on 26 December 1860. It is the oldest football fixture in the world.

What is El Clásico?

El Clásico is the derby between Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, and one of the most famous derbies in the world.

What is the Old Firm?

The Old Firm is the derby between Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland, first held in 1888.

Can a derby be between teams from different cities?

Yes. Liverpool v Manchester United is the best example. The two clubs come from different cities, yet their rivalry carries the same heat as a city derby.

Conclusion

So what is a derby in football? It is a match between two local rivals, a fixture where pride and bragging rights matter as much as points. Indeed, the word may come from a horse race or from a Shrovetide game in Derby. The oldest derby dates back to 1860. Finally, from El Clásico to the Old Firm, derbies give football its loudest nights and its longest memories. For more football stories, visit our Sports News page, and see ideas for matches on our free football predictions page.