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Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have now met 242 times across all competitions, making the Madrid derby one of the most enduring rivalries in European football. Real Madrid hold the overall advantage with 124 wins, while Atlético Madrid have won 60 times and 58 matches have ended level.
The rivalry stretches across La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, and it continues to produce defining moments in both domestic and European competition. Recent meetings have added fresh weight to the fixture, with Atlético Madrid winning 5-2 in the first derby of the 2025-26 season before Real Madrid responded with a 2-1 victory in the Spanish Super Cup semifinals.
Real Madrid lead the overall Madrid derby record
Across the full 242-game sample, Real Madrid’s 124 wins underline their long-term control of the fixture. Atlético Madrid’s 60 victories still reflect the competitiveness of the derby, particularly in modern eras when Diego Simeone’s side have regularly challenged Los Blancos in league and knockout matches.
The draw total of 58 also tells an important story. Madrid derbies have often been decided by fine margins, especially in recent seasons when league meetings and cup ties have repeatedly stayed close deep into games.
La Liga remains the main stage of the rivalry
Most of the meetings between the two clubs have come in La Liga. The teams have faced each other 177 times in the league, with Real Madrid winning 91 of those matches, Atlético Madrid winning 42 and 44 ending in draws.
That league split helps explain why Atlético victories in the derby often carry extra significance. One of the clearest recent examples came on Sept. 24, 2023, when Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 3-1 at the Metropolitano and handed their rivals their only league defeat of the 2023-24 campaign.
Real Madrid also hold the edge in Europe
The European dimension has elevated the rivalry even further. Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid have met 11 times in the Champions League, with Real Madrid winning six of those games, Atlético Madrid winning three and two matches finishing level.
Two of the most famous meetings came in Champions League finals. Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid 4-1 after extra time in Lisbon on May 24, 2014, a match remembered for Sergio Ramos’ 93rd-minute equaliser before Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scored in extra time. Two years later, Real Madrid won again, beating Atlético on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Milan to secure their 11th European Cup.
The 2017 semifinal first leg also remains one of the defining derby performances in Europe. Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick in a 3-0 Real Madrid win at the Santiago Bernabéu, and he remains the only player to score a hat trick against Diego Simeone’s Atlético Madrid.
Five classic matches that shaped the rivalry
The derby’s wider history includes decisive meetings from different eras. Atlético Madrid’s 1-0 win in the 1959 European Cup semifinal second leg forced a playoff, although Real Madrid won the decider 2-1. The 2014 and 2016 Champions League finals remain the highest-profile meetings between the clubs.
The 2023 league meeting at the Metropolitano also stands out as a modern reference point, while the 2025-26 season has already added another swing in momentum after Atlético’s 5-2 win and Real Madrid’s later Super Cup response.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the top scorer in Madrid derby history
Cristiano Ronaldo is the leading scorer in the history of the Madrid derby with 22 goals for Real Madrid. Alfredo Di Stéfano follows with 17, while Raúl and Santillana each scored 15.
Ferenc Puskás has 13, and Paco Campos is the highest Atlético Madrid scorer on the list with 12. Santiago Bernabéu and Emilio Butragueño also scored 12 derby goals for Real Madrid.
That chart reflects a broader pattern in the rivalry. Real Madrid dominate the list of leading scorers, with Paco Campos the only Atlético Madrid player included among the names provided.
Complete head-to-head record
- Games played: 242
- Atlético Madrid wins: 60
- Real Madrid wins: 124
- Draws: 58
La Liga head-to-head
- Games played: 177
- Atlético Madrid wins: 42
- Real Madrid wins: 91
- Draws: 44
Champions League head-to-head
- Games played: 11
- Atlético Madrid wins: 3
- Real Madrid wins: 6
- Draws: 2
Real Madrid remain ahead in the all-time Madrid derby record, but Atlético Madrid continue to supply enough landmark wins to keep the rivalry among the most compelling in world football.