Photo by Wikimedia Commons, CC by 2.0
International football might not be everyone’s cup of tea – but that certainly changes when the greatest show on earth takes place. The FIFA World Cup is the most watched, most anticipated, and the most high-profile sports tournament in the world.
With the 2026 World Cup less than a year away, football fans might be interested to know about some of the biggest international rivalries in football.
Even though international teams don’t meet as regularly as club rivals, the game at this level doesn’t lack any of the fierceness or glamour. In some cases, it even transcends bitter rivalries like Real Madrid-Barcelona and Liverpool-Manchester United.
Brazil vs Argentina
The biggest rivalry in international football is arguably Brazil vs Argentina, with the two neighbours often competing for the biggest prizes.
Between them, they have won seven World Cups and 24 Copa America titles. Fans’ of each nation have argued for years who is the best player of all time, with Brazilians supporting Pele, while Argentina’s Diego Maradona is arguably the greatest of all time if you ask those from his homeland.
Both teams have continued to compete at the top of the sport for the last 50 years, and there is no sign of that changing anytime soon.
USA vs Mexico
While football is not the national sport of the USA, they still have a fierce rivalry against Mexico.
Since 2000, the USA have started to compete against Mexico, and there has always been plenty at stake between the two sides that share a border.
There has been no love lost between the pair, and Mexico winning the CONCACAF World Cup by beating USMNT on US soil did little to cool the flames.
England vs Scotland
This is the oldest international fixture in football. The first meeting between the two took place in Glasgow way back in 1872, ending in a goalless draw.
National pride is always at the heart of this contest, with more than a century’s worth of history and well over a hundred encounters to draw from.
For the Scots, few moments compare to their famous 3-2 victory at Wembley in 1967 — a win over the reigning world champions that remains one of their most cherished results. Scotland also beat England at Wembley in the 2000 European Championship qualifiers.
As of writing, the Scots have been winless against their arch-nemesis since then.
Egypt vs Algeria
If you want an idea of how fierce things can get, picture this: 15,000 policemen on duty for one football match. That was the scene when Egypt met Algeria in 2009 — proof that this rivalry goes far beyond the pitch.
Their animosity runs deep. It all stems from a 1989 World Cup qualifier that descended into chaos, when Algerian legend Lakhdar Belloumi allegedly struck an Egyptian team doctor with a bottle, blinding him in one eye.
It’s the only African rivalry on this list, but it more than earns its place. Egypt vs Algeria stands as a reminder that football on the continent is played — and felt — with the same intensity as any fixture in Europe or South America.
Serbia vs Croatia
After the split of Yugoslavia, plenty of sporting rivalries soon formed across a number of different sports.
In football, there have only ever been two meetings between Croatia and Serbia, but both fixtures are remembered for their intensity.
Serbia have never beaten Croatia, but they are continuing to improve and will hope to improve their record when they next get the opportunity.
Both Serbia and Croatia qualified for the World Cup in Qatar, but they managed to avoid each other in the knockout stages, which was no doubt a relief for local authorities.
Germany vs Netherlands
Some rivalries are born on the pitch. This one came from the ashes of war. The Dutch have never forgotten Germany’s occupation during the Second World War, and every meeting between the two nations carries that edge.
After losing the 1974 World Cup final, Willem van Hanegem made it clear how deep those feelings ran: “I didn’t give a damn about the score… I don’t like them. It’s because of World War II.”
The bad blood boiled over again in 1990, when Frank Rijkaard spat into Rudi Völler’s mullet — an image that still defines their rivalry.
