El Clasico is nothing without its storied history, and three players could soon extend their own considerable ledgers in the rivalry.
When Real Madrid hosts Barcelona for the 237th time in all competitions on Dec. 23, a trio of players will be in line for their 37th El Clasico appearance.
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Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and Barcelona duo Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi could all step on the field for the 37th time in a match between the La Liga giants, extending all three players' shared lead as the active appearance leaders. Given their respective roles with their clubs, it's likely that all three players will do just that.
While Ramos, Iniesta and Messi are the active leaders for El Clasico appearances, they would still need to feature in a handful of additional clashes before claiming the all-time mark. A 37th appearance would put the trio on equal footing with three other legends: former Madrid stars Fernando Hierro, Raúl, and Iker Casillas have each played 37 times in El Clasico.
Only three players have more total appearances in the rivalry match, with Paco Gento and Xavi sitting at 42 each. Madrid iron man Manolo Sanchís is the standard bearer, having featured in 43 El Clasico matches during his near 20-year career.