Real Madrid vs Barcelona ranks as one of the fiercest rivalries on the planet.

They’re not drawn to one another by location - the distance between Madrid and Barcelona is more than 500 kilometres - but instead by a historic battle to be the best team in Spain.

The head-to-head record in competitive matches is 96 wins for Barcelona and 95 wins for Los Blancos. They have drawn 51 times.

And we’ll be treated to the 243rd competitive El Clasico meeting when the clubs clash at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

It’s one of football’s best rivalries but that hasn’t stopped players from representing both sides during their careers.

It’s never gone down well when a player crosses the Barcelona-Madrid divide - just ask Luis Figo - but some have been unable to resist the allure of playing for both prestigious clubs.

Ahead of Wednesday’s huge fixture, we take a look at 10 players who have played for both of Spain’s big two.

Luis Figo

The most ambitious crossover event in history.

Figo tarnished his Barcelona legacy when he signed for Real Madrid for a then-world-record £37.4 million deal in 2000.

The Portuguese midfielder won two La Liga titles and the Champions League with Los Blancos but his spell in the capital will be fondly remembered for the incident that happened on his return to Camp Nou on November 23, 2002, when a fan launched a pig’s head in Figo’s direction as he took a corner.

Barcelona appearances: 249

Real Madrid appearances: 239

Ronaldo

Ronaldo was incredible during his single season at Barcelona, scoring 47 goals in 49 games and winning the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

He secured a then-world-record move to Inter Milan but was back in Spain five years later with Real Madrid, where he won two La Liga titles.

Barcelona appearances: 49

Real Madrid: 177

Bernd Schuster

Schuster, just like Figo, moved directly from Barcelona to Real Madrid.

He managed just one La Liga triumph in eight seasons with Barcelona but won it in back-to-back years during his two-season spell at the Bernabeu.

Schuster then proved he’s football’s ultimate traitor by leaving Real in 1990 to join Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona appearances: 238

Real Madrid appearances: 86

Julen Lopetegui

Before embarking on managerial careers with the Spanish national side and Real Madrid, Lopetegui wore the shirt of both Barcelona and Real - albeit briefly.

He made just one appearance for Los Blancos after developing with their Castilla B team in his youth.

A loan spell at Las Palmas and three years at Logrones followed before Lopetegui moved to Barcelona.

He played just five times for the Blaugrana between 1994 and 1997.

Barcelona appearances: 5

Real Madrid appearances: 1

Samuel Eto’o

It’s easy to forget that Eto’o started his professional career at Real Madrid and the Bernabeu outfit must regret not giving him more opportunities.

The Cameroonian made just six appearances for the club and was loaned out six times.

Barcelona swooped following a successful spell at Mallorca and he would go on to score 130 goals and win eight trophies with the Blaugrana.

He departed in 2009 as a fan favourite.

Barcelona appearances: 199

Real Madrid appearances: 6

Javier Saviola

Saviola was a regular after his arrival at Barcelona from River Plate in 2001, playing more than 30 league games in each of his first three seasons.

But he fell down the pecking order and was loaned out to Monaco and Sevilla.

He joined Real Madrid upon the expiration of his Barcelona contract in 2007 but managed just 29 appearances in two years.

Barcelona appearances: 168

Real Madrid appearances: 29

Robert Prosinecki

Prosinecki failed to deliver on his €15 million price tag at Real Madrid, playing just 73 times before moving to Oviedo for one season.

He earned a move to Barcelona but he was also there for just one season before leaving for Sevilla.

Barcelona appearances: 23

Real Madrid appearances: 73

Gheorghe Hagi

Hagi has gone down as Romania’s greatest ever player but he managed just one Spanish Super Cup to show for his efforts during two seasons with Real Madrid.

He signed for Brescia in 1992 before returning to Spain with Barcelona two years later.

Two seasons at the Camp Nou didn’t bring about much success and Hagi left for Galatasaray after making 51 appearances.

Barcelona appearances: 51

Real Madrid appearances: 84

Michael Laudrup

Laudrup is another player to have gone directly from Barca to Real.

He made the switch in 1994 after winning four La Liga titles in five years with Barcelona.

Laudrup then added another title in his first season with Real Madrid but he would remain at the Bernabeu for just one more year before sealing a lucrative move to Japanese side Vissel Kobe.

Barcelona appearances: 216

Real Madrid appearances: 76

Luis Enrique

The only man on the list to make the direct jump from Real Madrid to Barcelona.

Enrique made a name of himself at the Bernabeu, where he made more than 200 appearances.

He left to join Barcelona on a free transfer and enjoyed similar success, winning seven trophies in eight years before retiring in 2004.

Enrique moved into coaching and experienced El Clasico as a manager with Barcelona between 2014 and 2017.

Barcelona appearances: 300

Real Madrid appearances: 213

Any player to represent both Barcelona and Real Madrid is clearly talented.

Ronaldo, Figo, Hagi and Laudrup are some of the finest to ever play the game.

But it’s a huge risk to jump ship from one to the other, as Figo found out in 2002.

Still, what was he expecting. This isn’t a rivalry to take lightly.