Derbies in football are usually the highlight of every team's season.

These aren't your average, run-of-the-mill fixtures. They're brimming with intensity, passion and in some cases, deep-seated hatred.

Try saying 'it's only a game' to any supporter on Derby Day and you'll be greeted with a list of reasons why for each club, there's one game that matters more than any other.

That said, some rivalries are so heated and can draw on so much history that they aren't just important to their own fans.

Around the world, occasions like the Superclásico and the Old Firm attract millions of viewers who can't wait to see what fireworks are sparked.

In 2019, FourFourTwo decided to list 50 of the very best derbies from around the world and we feel they're got their list pretty spot on, with a few minor dubious points along the way.

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Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday

It's a pity the divisions have often kept these two bastions of Yorkshire steel apart in recent years as the passion in the stands is unrivalled.

Blooming vs Oriente Petrolero

You might not be familiar with the goings-on in Bolivia's Santa Cruz but the fixture did attract headlines farther afield when in 2008, an Oriente Petrolero player celebrated scoring by dancing like a chicken - it led to a mass brawl and three players were sent off.

Portland Timbers vs Seattle Sounders

MLS fans are often mocked for not being as - shall we say - raucous as their counterparts in Europe and south America. However, one possible exception is when the Timbers and Sounders get together for the States' biggest derby.

Lyon vs Saint-Etienne

Le Derby was firmly in Lyon's hands for years during their most dominant spell in Ligue 1.

Newell’s Old Boys vs Rosario Central

Newell’s Old Boys is about far more than its most famous supporter, Lionel Messi, and it's always a spectacular affair when they meet Rosario Central in Argentina's third-biggest city.

Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad

They have their differences, but Bilbao and Sociedad are often united during the Basque derby in shows of strength against the central government in Madrid.

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Everton vs Santiago Wanderers

Everton de Vina del Mar in Chile once won this fixture 17-0 many, many years ago, but have since fallen on tougher times after relegation in 2014.

FC Seoul vs Suwon Bluewings

LG Cheetahs, now FC Seoul, moved cities twice in the last two decades but the animosity hasn't gone away, wherever they've played.

Bahia vs Vitoria

In the Brazilian city of Salvador, early players from the two teams were so desperate to secure victory they used to make offerings to different gods.

Dynamo Moscow vs Spartak Moscow

The oldest derby in Moscow. Spartak's origins lay in the trade unionist movements of 1922 and Dynamo were formed a year later.

America vs Deportivo Cali

The two clubs have more than their fair share of heartache between them but they're more than happy to inflict it on one another when they get the opportunity.

Hamburg vs St. Pauli

Whatever you make of the action itself, the German police rated it as the country's most violent derby. It's been marred by hooliganism over the years, though it's hardly alone in that.

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Alianza Lima vs Universitario

The greatest football clubs Peru has to offer. In the very first game between the pair, Alianza had five players sent off after falling behind. The kind of sore losing we can all get behind.

CSKA Sofia vs Levski Sofia

Another fixture that has seen its fair share of flare-ups over the years, Levski did not welcome CSKA Sofia encroaching on their territory - after all, they only formed in 1948.

Cerro Porteno vs Olimpia

Paraguay quite literally comes to a standstill when these two sides play as 90% of the entire population support one of them. The game's got a bit more sophisticated over the years; Olimpia forgot to turn up to their first ever derby.

Glentoran vs Linfield

Northern Ireland's biggest two sides are miles clear of any other side in the region. Linfield have won the league 56 titles and Glentoran 23.

Barcelona vs Emelec

Not *that* Barcelona, obviously. This is the side who have been the biggest force in Ecuador's Serie A, beating all before them including their local rivals from Guayaquil, the country's biggest port town.

Esteghlal vs Persepolis

At least there are no arguments over who has the better stadium in Tehran. Conveniently, they both share the Azadi Stadium, which is always packed with 95,000 when its two teams play one another.

Dinamo Bucharest vs FCSB

FCSB are the club formally known as Steaua Bucharest (that changed after a dispute with the army). In the Communist era, they were helped to strengthen their playing sides with funds from the Romanian state. They also banned players under 28 from moving abroad.

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Kaizer Chiefs vs Orlando Pirates

A combined 30 million people support the two South African giants. Kaizer Chiefs were actually born out of the in-fighting at Orlando Pirates, which convinced their former player Kaizer Motuang to start up his own club.