# IFK Göteborg–Malmö FF rivalry

Although not technically a derby, the fixture between IFK Göteborg and Malmö FF is one of the fiercest sporting rivalries in Swedish football, sometimes referred to as the "Mesta mästarmötet" (English: Clash of the greatest champions).
The two clubs are the most successful in Swedish football; Malmö FF have won 24 Swedish championship titles, an all time Swedish record, while IFK Göteborg have won 18 titles.
The two clubs top the All-time Allsvenskan table with Malmö FF being 174 points ahead of IFK Göteborg after the conclusion of the 2023 season. Together they have won 42 Swedish championships, 40 Allsvenskan titles and 24 Svenska Cupen titles. Only AIK have played more seasons in Allsvenskan than the two clubs.
The two clubs are also the only Swedish clubs to have reached the final of European competition, IFK Göteborg won the UEFA Cup in 1981–82 and again in 1986–87 while Malmö FF were runners-up in the 1978–79 European Cup.

## Shared player history
### Transfers

The two lists are incomplete.
There have been few direct transfers between the rivals, the most recent transfer was on 12 January 2018.
| Date | Name | From | To |
| 22 January 2003 | Jon Inge Høiland | IFK Göteborg | Malmö FF |
| 17 November 2003 | Peter Ijeh | Malmö FF | IFK Göteborg |
| 14 July 2005 | Thomas Olsson | Malmö FF | IFK Göteborg |
| 12 January 2018 | Søren Rieks | IFK Göteborg | Malmö FF |
There have also been a few players who have played for both clubs although transferred via another club.
| Name | From | Period | Via | To | Period |
| Robert Prytz | Malmö FF | 1977–1982 1993–1995 | Rangers | IFK Göteborg | 1985–1986 |
| Dan Corneliusson | IFK Göteborg | 1978–1983 | Stuttgart Como FC Wettingen | Malmö FF | 1990–1992 |
| Joakim Persson | Malmö FF | 1992–1996 | Atalanta | IFK Göteborg | 1998–1999 |
| Mats Lilienberg | IFK Göteborg | 1995–1996 | Halmstads BK | Malmö FF | 2000–2002 |
| Mathias Ranégie | IFK Göteborg | 2007–2008 | BK Häcken Go Ahead Eagles | Malmö FF | 2011–2012 |
| Tobias Sana | IFK Göteborg | 2009–2012 2019–2022 | Ajax | Malmö FF | 2015–2017 |
| Simon Thern | Malmö FF | 2012–2014 | Heerenveen AIK IFK Norrköping | IFK Göteborg | 2021-2023 |

### Played for one, managed the other

| Manager | Played for | Played for | Managed | Managed |
| Manager | Team | Span | Team | Span |
| Roland Nilsson | IFK Göteborg | 1983–1989 | Malmö FF | 2008–2011 |
| Michael Andersson | IFK Göteborg | 1986–1988 | Malmö FF | 2000–2001 |

### Managed both clubs

| Manager | IFK Göteborg career | IFK Göteborg career | IFK Göteborg career | IFK Göteborg career | IFK Göteborg career | IFK Göteborg career | Malmö FF career | Malmö FF career | Malmö FF career | Malmö FF career | Malmö FF career | Malmö FF career |
| Manager | Span | G$^1$ | W | D | L | Win % | Span | G$^1$ | W | D | L | Win % |
| Josef Stroh | 1959–1960 | 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 054.5 | 1955–1958 | 87 | 44 | 21 | 22 | 050.6 |
| Roland Nilsson | 2020–2021 | 23 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 030.4 | 2008–2011 | 109 | 54 | 24 | 31 | 049.5 |
$^1$ Only competitive matches are counted.

## Statistics

| | IFK Göteborg wins | Draws | Malmö FF wins |
| League | 63 | 42 | 72 |
| Svenska Cupen | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Svenska Supercupen | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 65 | 42 | 81 |
    Table correct as of 28 October 2024

## Last five head-to-head fixtures

| Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Competition |
| 17 November 2022 | IFK Göteborg | 2–1 | Malmö FF | Gamla Ullevi | Allsvenskan |
| 17 April 2023 | IFK Göteborg | 0–1 | Malmö FF | Gamla Ullevi | Allsvenskan |
| 3 September 2023 | Malmö FF | 2–2 | IFK Göteborg | Stadion | Allsvenskan |
| 13 May 2024 | IFK Göteborg | 0–3 | Malmö FF | Gamla Ullevi | Allsvenskan |
| 28 October 2024 | Malmö FF | 2–1 | IFK Göteborg | Stadion | Allsvenskan |

## Honours

| Team | Allsvenskan | Svenska Cupen | Supercupen | Total |
| Malmö FF | 26 | 15 | 2 | 43 |
| IFK Göteborg | 13 | 8 | 1 | 22 |
| Combined | 39 | 23 | 3 | 65 |
    Table correct as of 27 November 2023

## All-time results

$^1$ Awarded 0-3 after the original match had been suspended with the score at a 0–0 as a result of a spectator scandal.
$^2$ The match was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. $^3$ The match was played with limited capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

### Results at home in Cup matches

| Date | Venue | Attendance | Matches | Matches | Matches | Competition |
| Date | Venue | Attendance | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Competition |
| 28 June 1970 | Malmö Stadion | 3,611 | Malmö FF | 2–1 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Cupen (preliminary round) |
| 8 November 1975 | Malmö Stadion | 2,799 | Malmö FF | 2–1 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Cupen (quarter-final) |
| 29 October 1977 | Ullevi | 11,997 | IFK Göteborg | 2–3 | Malmö FF | Svenska Cupen (round 6) |
| 9 May 1984 | Malmö Stadion | 8,833 | Malmö FF | 4–1 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Cupen (quarter-final) |
| 7 June 1989 | Ullevi | 4,411 | IFK Göteborg | 0–2 | Malmö FF | Svenska Cupen (semi-final) |
| 6 May 1999 | Malmö Stadion | 4,676 | Malmö FF | 1–2 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Cupen (semi-final) |
| 27 April 2001 | Gamla Ullevi | 5,528 | IFK Göteborg | 1–2 | Malmö FF | Svenska Cupen (quarter-final) |
| 10 November 2013 | Swedbank Stadion | 2,787 | Malmö FF | 3–2 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Supercupen |
| 10 March 2018 | Malmö IP | 4,135 | Malmö FF | 1–0 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Cupen (quarter-final) |
| 30 July 2020 | Gamla Ullevi | 0$^1$ | IFK Göteborg | 2–1 | Malmö FF | Svenska Cupen (Final) |
| Malmö FF wins | IFK Göteborg wins |
| 8 | 2 |
$^1$ The match was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.

### Results at neutral venues

| Date | Venue | Attendance | Matches | Matches | Matches | Competition |
| Date | Venue | Attendance | Team 1 | Score | Team 2 | Competition |
| 2 July 1986 | Råsunda | 11,656 | Malmö FF | 2–1 | IFK Göteborg | Svenska Cupen (Final) |
| Malmö FF wins | IFK Göteborg wins |
| 1 | 0 |