By the time a ball is rolled in 2026, some Asian fixtures will already have bent spreadsheets and hearts out of shape. Derbies in Riyadh, Tehran, Kolkata, Japan, and South India have become seasonal rituals: the same colours, the same songs, the same feeling that this, not the league table, is the real test of a club’s soul. Odds-setters watch these games like astronomers tracking eclipses, knowing that a single result can shift whole models.
Bangladeshi fans follow all this from living rooms, café screens, and mobile apps, even though betting itself is illegal at home. Comparison pieces that look at each bd betting site for overseas users or neutral punters treat these Asian derbies as early signposts: data points around which 2026 markets in legal jurisdictions begin to coalesce, long before line-ups are confirmed.
Riyadh’s Capital Fire: Al Hilal vs Al Nassr
The Riyadh derby between Al Hilal SFC and Al Nassr FC has been played since the 1950s and is now one of Asia’s most-watched club fixtures. The head-to-head tables give Al Hilal the edge: across their last 32 meetings, Al Hilal lead 16-10 with six draws, and are also ahead on total goals scored.
The rivalry has only grown since Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Al Nassr. In April 2025, he scored twice in a 3-1 league win over Al Hilal, a reminder that even a historically dominant club can be bent by one man’s form. With Ronaldo now committed to the Saudi Pro League until at least 2027, the 2025-26 season has opened under a spotlight that will still be burning when 2026 derby editions arrive.
Tehran’s Red and Blue Mirror: Persepolis vs Esteghlal
In Tehran, the Persepolis-Esteghlal derby at the Azadi Stadium remains one of Asia’s purest collisions of history and form. The rivalry dates back to the 1960s and has piled up dozens of high-stakes meetings across league, cup, and continental competition. Head-to-head data since 2005 shows a remarkably balanced modern era: Persepolis with 15 wins, Esteghlal with 7, and 24 draws in 46 games, with just a narrow goals advantage for the red side.
In the 2025-26 Persian Gulf Pro League, the derby in December 2025 sees Persepolis second and Esteghlal top by a single point, a set-up that will echo into any 2026 meeting as long as both remain in the title race.
The Kolkata Derby: More Than a City, More Than a Match
No list of Asian derbies is complete without the Kolkata Derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, known locally as the Boro Match. The official rivalry dates back to 1925, when East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan 1-0 in the Calcutta Football League, and has now passed 400 meetings. As of late 2025, East Bengal leads the overall series with 144 wins, Mohun Bagan with 134, and 129 draws.
Recent seasons have carried the derby into the Indian Super League and Super Cup, with the most recent official meeting ending 0-0 in October 2025. Models weigh the emotional chaos inside Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan against concrete numbers such as set-piece conversion rates and how often Mohun Bagan’s press traps East Bengal’s build-up in their own half.
The Hyundai Derby: Ulsan HD vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
In South Korea, the Hyundai Derby between Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors is as much a clash of eras as clubs. Both sides have won Asian Champions League titles: Ulsan in 2012 and 2020, and Jeonbuk in 2006 and 2016. Since 2004, the pair have met 88 times, with Jeonbuk winning 36, Ulsan 25, and 27 draws.
Recent seasons have tightened the rivalry: Hyundai derbies in 2024-25 produced a run of narrow results, including a two-legged AFC Champions League quarter-final in 2024 and league matches in which one goal or fewer separated the sides. Ulsan’s home advantage at Ulsan Munsu, Jeonbuk’s improved away record, and low-margin scorelines that make Asian handicap lines and total-goals markets finely balanced rather than obvious.
Urawa vs Kashima: Japan’s Relentless Balance
Japan offers many rivalries, but the recurring battle between Urawa Red Diamonds and Kashima Antlers carries a special weight. Both clubs have lifted the Asian Champions League (Kashima in 2018 and Urawa in 2007, 2017, and 2022), cementing their status as continental and domestic powers. Between 2003 and 2025, Urawa and Kashima have played at least 53 times in league and cup, with Urawa winning 18, Kashima 17, and 18 draws, and an almost equal goal tally (65-64).
In September 2025, Kashima’s 1-0 win at Saitama, sealed by a Yuma Suzuki goal inside the first quarter-hour, underlined how thin the margins are between these two.
South India’s Travelling Storm: Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters
Further south, the South Indian Derby has turned clashes between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters into some of the Indian Super League’s loudest nights. The derby label covers any meeting between Bengaluru, Chennaiyin, and Kerala. Still, the rivalry between Bengaluru and Kerala stands out, fed by the Manjappada and West Block Blues fan groups and inflamed by controversial matches, including Kerala’s walk-off in a 2023 ISL play-off against Bengaluru.
On the pitch, the fixture continues to draw crowds: a 3-1 away win for Bengaluru in Kochi in October 2024 drew almost 35,000 spectators, and a 4-2 home win for Bengaluru in 2024-25 added fuel to the fire. Models have to balance Bengaluru’s strong home record at Sree Kanteerava Stadium against Kerala’s improved pressing and the emotional bounce from the terraces in Kochi.
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