The International Rivalries

We LOVE them! It adds that nice hot spices to the matches. Brasil-Argentina, Perú-Chile, USA-México, Germany-Netherlands, England-Scotland etc. the no love lost encounters we football fans crave (well most of us).

Let's widen it a bit more. I noticed Fey saying that he hates playing Portugal because the Portuguese have their number lately. Ain't that right Fey!

1. Who's your archrival, the no love lost game, must be mutual?
2. Who plays against you like it's their lives on the line, but your country doesn't give a f@ck about them, and you wish (at least sometimes) that your country matches their intensity?
3. What country you love to play against?
4. What country you don't want to face or has your number (if any)?

In our case, I think I speak for many fans from Perú.
1. Chile
2. Ecuador and Colombia
3. Any of the big, ugly teams, Brasil, Argentina, Italia, Germany the uglier the better.
4. Personally I don't care who we play against.

I am from Brasil, so

1- Argentina (by far our greatest rivals)

2- Uruguay ( it used to be a huge rivalry, but I sense te players dont respect Urugauy as we used to

3- Italy or Holland (always great games)

4- France ( Zidane is retired right?)

1.Well its not totally mutual but the biggie for England is Germany
2. Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Argentina... any country we've oppressed at some point - so about a third of the world
3. Holland - because they play good football and we invariably win. And Argentina - they're always cracking games
4. Portugal - despite how poor they've played before playing us they always seem to raise their game. Knocked us out of the last two tournaments too.

I remember starting a similar thread back in the days, but it can never hurt to have new one.


1.) Holland
2.) England
3.) Italy (after 2006, for the Frings incident)
4.) Argentina (after 2006, for the incident after the 1/4 finals)
5.) Switzerland / Austria / other neighbours who see us as rivals (and hate us), but don't really count as ours - always good to beat them

@ Puro

Do Peruvians really dislike Chileans that much?? Chileans seem to dislike the Bolivian national team much more than Peru, plus Flavio Maestri is still considered a legend for U de Chile fans (which is over a third of Chilean fans).

I really thought the Peru-Chile thing was a thing of the past , and yes Pisco is Peruano I admit.

Cricky wrote:@ Puro

Do Peruvians really dislike Chileans that much?? Chileans seem to dislike the Bolivian national team much more than Peru, plus Flavio Maestri is still considered a legend for U de Chile fans (which is over a third of Chilean fans).

I really thought the Peru-Chile thing was a thing of the past , and yes Pisco is Peruano I admit.

We don't dislike our hermanos chilenos outside the football pitch. Everything stays in the football pitch, and that's that. Some of my best friends are from Chile (Rancagua). We just love to play Chile more than any other team-beautiful football rivalry-, and my Chilean mates also love to play against us more than any other team.

I watch TV from Chile whenever a match looms and listen to the players' interviews how they really want to beat us as well. I've heard them say "anyone but Perú".

Regarding el Pisco, everyone (in Perú) knew of the story how that Chilean businessman came to Pisco (the Peruvian city) and then went back to Chile, lobbied Chilean politicians to change the name of the Chilean town La Unión to "Pisco Elqui" just to claim that Pisco (the drink) came from Chile originally.

Hard to pick a first between Scotland or Germany. We only play Scotland about once every 5 years now.

Argentina 3rd.

Puro wrote:We don't dislike our hermanos chilenos outside the football pitch. Everything stays in the football pitch, and that's that. Some of my best friends are from Chile (Rancagua). We just love to play Chile more than any other team-beautiful football rivalry-, and my Chilean mates also love to play against us more than any other team.

I watch TV from Chile whenever a match looms and listen to the players' interviews how they really want to beat us as well. I've heard them say "anyone but Perú".

I agree that there is rivalry but I have gotten the fealing that it is less "violant" and more banter now. Years ago all kind of rubbish used to happen but its more civilized now.

I guess I am speaking rubbish though as I do really enjoy when Chile beat Peru I must say, but more so beacuse I enjoy the banter with my Peruvian friends. So you are right after all

On the Nederland - Germany mode we need some fresh incidents...

There is no hate anymore from a Dutch perspective. Remember, the Dutch said about the German team in 2006: "we like the Germans more than our team... "

Only the Germans are taken the rivalry serious today with all the "Ohne Holland fahren wir...." ... But the real rivalry is dead...And I miss it...

What do we need? To get back to the lovely rivalry...? Does Jaliens ( the nicest guy in the world) has to spit Ballack in the face? or does Ooijer has to clean his ass with Klose's shirt after the 5-1 victory in the Final...?

I can't see this all to happen... I really worry about it..! what can we do...? help?

1. Argentina.

2. Uruguay (but Brazilians do care about this clássico; afterall, they beat us in a WC final at home, and it's still a difficult match - last time Brazil beat them in Montevideo was in the early 80s).

3. Argentina, Uruguay, Germany (cause they are football giants, and we got their number), Italy (always difficult and even), Holland (always great attacking games).

4. France and Portugal, the only countries that can boast to have Brazil's number.

Cricky wrote:
I agree that there is rivalry but I have gotten the fealing that it is less "violant" and more banter now. Years ago all kind of rubbish used to happen but its more civilized now.

I guess I am speaking rubbish though as I do really enjoy when Chile beat Peru I must say, but more so beacuse I enjoy the banter with my Peruvian friends. So you are right after all

I tell the sisters of my mates how it seems their empanadas taste better when we win, and they comeback with how ceviche tastes better when you win and more stuff like that.

Puro wrote: I tell the sisters of my mates how it seems their empanadas taste better when we win, and they comeback with how ceviche tastes better when you win and more stuff like that.

I will admit that Pisco is from Peru but your empanadas are not half as good as the Chilean ones

I admit also that Ceviche tastes awesome but if you ever go to Chile try a "Mariscal frio"

RicardoJol wrote:On the Nederland - Germany mode we need some fresh incidents...

There is no hate anymore from a Dutch perspective. Remember, the Dutch said about the German team in 2006: "we like the Germans more than our team... "

Only the Germans are taken the rivalry serious today with all the "Ohne Holland fahren wir...." ... But the real rivalry is dead...And I miss it...

What do we need? To get back to the lovely rivalry...? Does Jaliens ( the nicest guy in the world) has to spit Ballack in the face? or does Ooijer has to clean his ass with Klose's shirt after the 5-1 victory in the Final...?

I can't see this all to happen... I really worry about it..! what can we do...? help?

I agree with you, I've written the same repeatedly. Even the Germans don't really hate the Dutch national team these days, it's more fun than anything. It used to be a much more hateful and ugly rivalry. Don't forget why the German fans went on about "Ohne Holland fahren wir nach Berlin" in 2006 -> the sheer paranoia to see Holland winning a title on German soil again. That would have been hard to stomach.

I don't even know if we can revive the old times again. Even if you beat us in an important match, or we beat you, I don't think that the hatred and ugliness will come back. There will be a lot of gloating, people will be wound up, but it won't be the same.

You simply have less c**ts in your team these days (Koeman wiping his arse with a Germany shirt, Rijkaard spitting at Völler, etc.), so do we. I can't see ugly stuff like that happening in our times. Could be wrong, but I don't think it's likely.

But those incidents can't be forgotten, and you are our neighbour, you are very similar to us culturally, you have a great football tradition. These are reasons why we will always be rivals. It will be less fierce, it probably won't be important in distant future, but it will never completely cease to exist.

P.S.: When Germany were knocked out in an international competiton, while the Dutch were still there (didn't happen often, I know), I actually cheered for them. But don't tell anyone.

Well the main reason for us to support Germany is because of the money...we remain Dutch afterall.

If Germany sneeze we get a cold

BTW I dont hope Germany will win...because I have to buy a Schweinsteigers shirt then

Cricky wrote:
I will admit that Pisco is from Peru but your empanadas are not half as good as the Chilean ones

I admit also that Ceviche tastes awesome but if you ever go to Chile try a "Mariscal frio"

No, we don't mess with empanadas. That's your thingy or is it Barrilete's expertise?

Thanks for the recommendation about "Mariscal frio". I'll try that next time.

1. Brazil of course.
2. mhmm, this one's hard to judge, but Id say, Chile, Uruguay, and Mexico for some reason.
3. Germany. I'd love for us to play Germany
4. if you really want to believe you're competing to become the best then you have to be able to play against anyone so, bring it on...

1) Germany
2) Belgium
3) Yugoslavia / England / France = easy win
4) Portugal & Italy

1 West-Germany
2 Germany, Belgium
3 Argentina, Yugoslavia(Serbia), Denmark, Brazil, England
4 Portugal/Italy

1. Who's your archrival, the no love lost game, must be mutual?
2. Who plays against you like it's their lives on the line, but your country doesn't give a f@ck about them, and you wish (at least sometimes) that your country matches their intensity?
3. What country you love to play against?
4. What country you don't want to face or has your number (if any)?

1. If i have to say anyone i would say Spain but in reality there is not too much rivalry as we rarely play eachother
2. Angola and peraphs the other former colonies but it is so rare to play them that it is pretty much academic
3. Brazil (they play attacking football so it is a pretty open match). I would say Holland too but they seem more interested in playing rugby lately so there is not much left to football
And to a lesser degree other teams with a strong charisma in the game, it is always nice to play them.
4. France and Italy (could say Greece but for me they are a 2. as i don´t care much for them)