Barcelona fans think this Clásico could make history – but Real Madrid remember a very different story

Barcelona’s hopes of a ceremonial guard of honor at Camp Nou this Sunday were dashed – undone by Vinícius Jr.’s two stunning goals against Espanyol in Cornellà – but the club’s fanbase is clinging to a second route to savor a potential league title, one that would rub it in against Real Madrid, their eternal rival.

Did Real Madrid ever win LaLiga against Barcelona in a Clásico?

The idea has taken hold that if Barça clinch their 29th title against Madrid’s squad on May 10, it would be unprecedented – a league triumph sealed face-to-face in a Clásico. Yet that belief doesn’t hold up. Real Madrid supporters can point to a moment when they themselves celebrated a title in front of Barcelona.

That moment came at the climax of the 1931–32 season. The final round of a championship played over 18 games – with just 10 teams involved – saw Madrid travel to Las Corts needing to secure the title against a Barcelona side sitting third. Athletic Club were breathing down their necks.

The team, then known simply as Madrid CF – the monarchy-linked “Real” having been dropped during the Republic – featured established stars like Ricardo Zamora, “El Divino,” along with fierce competitors such as Ciriaco, Jacinto Quincoces, and Luis Regueiro.

How did Real Madrid clinch the 1932 LaLiga title at Barcelona?

A hard-fought draw proved enough, with Madrid’s goals coming from Lazcano and Regueiro in a tense game overshadowed by controversy. Referee Insausti’s performance drew such anger that a knife was thrown onto the pitch, later pocketed by linesman Santujar. “It’s a splendid knife. I’m keeping this one – it’ll come in handy for the mountains,” joked a contemporary report in El Mundo Deportivo. Madrid finished three points clear of Athletic and four ahead of Barcelona to seal the title.

Why this 1932 title still matters for El Clásico history today

That championship marked the first of Madrid’s 36 league titles, a haul that would soon grow with another triumph the following year, again anchored by Zamora in goal. The back-to-back titles during the Republic challenge later narratives tying the club’s success to Franco’s regime. From the dictator’s rise in 1939 until 1953, Madrid did not win a single league title, while Barcelona claimed five.

Whatever happens this Sunday, the historical record is clear: Real Madrid were the first to celebrate a league title in a Clásico, staking an emotional precedent that still echoes today.

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