Manchester United: The Official History 1878-2008

The Liverpool F.C.–Manchester United F.C. rivalry, sometimes referred to as the Northwest derby, is a high-profile inter-city rivalry between English professional association football clubs Liverpool and Manchester United. It is considered one of the biggest fixtures in English football and one of the biggest and fiercest rivalries in world football. Players, fans and the media consider the fixture between the two clubs to be their biggest rivalry, above even their own local derbies, with Everton and Manchester City respectively. The rivalry has been fuelled by the proximity of the two major cities that they represent, their historic economic and industrial rivalry, significant periods of domestic footballing dominance and European success, and their popularity at home and abroad, as two of the biggest-earning and widely supported football clubs in the world. The two clubs are the most successful in the history of English football and among the most decorated in the world; between them they have won 40 league titles, 21 FA Cups, 16 League Cups, 37 FA Community Shields, nine European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues, four UEFA Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, five UEFA Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup and two FIFA Club World Cups. As of 3 May 2026, Liverpool lead in terms of number of trophies won with 69 to United's 68, while United lead in the head-to-head record between the two teams with 85 wins to Liverpool's 72; the remaining 61 matches have finished as draws. Neither of the two, as well as Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, and Tottenham, have been relegated from the Premier League, the current top-tier league serving as the highest level of the English football pyramid.