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Crossing the line
Babe Ruth and Wade Boggs, Brett Favre, Luís Figo, Frank Mahovlich: the players who played for both sides of each sport's great rivalries, and the rivalries that almost never trade. Only five players have played for both Liverpool and Manchester United since 1963.
By Austin · October 17, 2026
Some moves cost a player more than a change of address. We went through every roster in five sports for the players who played for both sides of their sport’s great rivalries: how many crossed, who they were, and which rivalries almost never trade.
| Sport | Rivalries | Crossed the most | Crossed the least |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 5 | Cubs and Cardinals (333) | Yankees and Mets (176) |
| Basketball | 5 | Lakers and Clippers (69) | Celtics and Lakers (40) |
| Football | 6 | Bears and Packers (69) | Steelers and Ravens (32) |
| Hockey | 6 | Penguins and Flyers (92) | Red Wings and Avalanche (50) |
| Soccer | 12 | PSG and Marseille (50) | Liverpool and Manchester United (5) |
Baseball
The Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in January 1920, and over the next decade sent them Waite Hoyt, Herb Pennock and Red Ruffing too. Wade Boggs went the same way as a free agent in 1993 and won a World Series in New York. The Cubs traded Lou Brock to the Cardinals in June 1964 for Ernie Broglio, and Brock went on to steal 938 bases and reach the Hall of Fame as a Cardinal. Duke Snider finished his career with the Giants, and Juan Marichal, who'd spent 14 seasons pitching against the Dodgers, finished his in Los Angeles.
| Rivalry | Played for both | Went straight across | Best known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yankees and Red Sox | 262 | 141 | Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson, Babe Ruth, Lee Smith |
| Dodgers and Giants | 255 | 106 | Gary Carter, Joe Medwick, Duke Snider, Ernie Lombardi |
| Cubs and Cardinals | 333 | 169 | Lou Brock, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rabbit Maranville, Lee Smith |
| Cubs and White Sox | 217 | 90 | Ron Santo, Rich Gossage, Hoyt Wilhelm, Johnny Evers |
| Yankees and Mets | 176 | 59 | Yogi Berra, Rickey Henderson, Carlos Beltran, Robinson Cano |
Both sides
| Player | Rivalry | His time with each |
|---|---|---|
| Wade Boggs | Yankees and Red Sox | Boston Red Sox 1982 to 1992, then New York Yankees 1993 to 1997 |
| Rickey Henderson | Yankees and Red Sox | New York Yankees 1985 to 1989, then Boston Red Sox 2002 |
| Gary Carter | Dodgers and Giants | San Francisco Giants 1990, then Los Angeles Dodgers 1991 |
| Joe Medwick | Dodgers and Giants | Brooklyn Dodgers 1940 to 1943, then New York Giants 1943 to 1945, then Brooklyn Dodgers 1946 |
| Lou Brock | Cubs and Cardinals | Chicago Cubs 1961 to 1964, then St. Louis Cardinals 1964 to 1979 |
| Hoyt Wilhelm | Cubs and Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals 1957, then Chicago Cubs 1970 |
| Ron Santo | Cubs and White Sox | Chicago Cubs 1960 to 1973, then Chicago White Sox 1974 |
| Rich Gossage | Cubs and White Sox | Chicago White Sox 1972 to 1976, then Chicago Cubs 1988 |
| Yogi Berra | Yankees and Mets | New York Yankees 1946 to 1963, then New York Mets 1965 |
| Rickey Henderson | Yankees and Mets | New York Yankees 1985 to 1989, then New York Mets 1999 to 2000 |
Basketball
Basketball's great rivals trade players rarely: only 40 have played for both the Celtics and the Lakers since 1946-47. Shaquille O'Neal finished his career in Boston, and Dennis Rodman, a Bad Boy Piston who'd fought the Bulls for years, won three titles in Chicago. Russell Westbrook went from the Lakers to the Clippers in the middle of the 2022-23 season, the shortest trip in the league.
| Rivalry | Played for both | Went straight across | Best known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics and Lakers | 40 | 16 | Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Bob McAdoo, Rajon Rondo |
| Celtics and 76ers | 49 | 17 | Bob McAdoo, Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, Bailey Howell |
| Knicks and Celtics | 51 | 24 | Bob McAdoo, Chauncey Billups, Kemba Walker, Paul Westphal |
| Bulls and Pistons | 55 | 23 | Dennis Rodman, Derrick Rose, Andre Drummond, Ben Wallace |
| Lakers and Clippers | 69 | 26 | Russell Westbrook, Bob McAdoo, Rajon Rondo, Adrian Dantley |
Both sides
| Player | Rivalry | His time with each |
|---|---|---|
| Shaquille O'Neal | Celtics and Lakers | Los Angeles Lakers 1996-97 to 2003-04, then Boston Celtics 2010-11 |
| Gary Payton | Celtics and Lakers | Los Angeles Lakers 2003-04, then Boston Celtics 2004-05 |
| Bob McAdoo | Celtics and 76ers | Boston Celtics 1978-79, then Philadelphia 76ers 1985-86 |
| Al Horford | Celtics and 76ers | Boston Celtics 2016-17 to 2018-19, then Philadelphia 76ers 2019-20, then Boston Celtics 2021-22 to 2024-25 |
| Bob McAdoo | Knicks and Celtics | New York Knicks 1976-77 to 1978-79, then Boston Celtics 1978-79 |
| Chauncey Billups | Knicks and Celtics | Boston Celtics 1997-98, then New York Knicks 2010-11 |
| Dennis Rodman | Bulls and Pistons | Detroit Pistons 1986-87 to 1992-93, then Chicago Bulls 1995-96 to 1997-98 |
| Derrick Rose | Bulls and Pistons | Chicago Bulls 2008-09 to 2011-12 and 2013-14 to 2015-16, then Detroit Pistons 2019-20 to 2020-21 |
| Russell Westbrook | Lakers and Clippers | Los Angeles Lakers 2021-22 to 2022-23, then Los Angeles Clippers 2022-23 to 2023-24 |
| Bob McAdoo | Lakers and Clippers | Buffalo Braves 1972-73 to 1976-77, then Los Angeles Lakers 1981-82 to 1984-85 |
Football
Brett Favre spent 16 seasons in Green Bay, and two of his last three in Minnesota, where he beat the Packers twice in 2009. Deion Sanders left Dallas for Washington in 2000, Terrell Owens went from the Eagles to the Cowboys in 2006, and Marcus Allen spent his last five seasons with the Chiefs after eleven with the Raiders. Football players move more than most, but a division rival's roster is still a long way from home.
| Rivalry | Played for both | Went straight across | Best known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bears and Packers | 69 | 49 | Julius Peppers, Steve McMichael, Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis |
| Packers and Vikings | 65 | 46 | Brett Favre, Jan Stenerud, Bryce Paup, Paul Coffman |
| Cowboys and Washington | 69 | 40 | Deion Sanders, Von Miller, Michael Bates, Calvin Hill |
| Cowboys and Eagles | 56 | 34 | Terrell Owens, Harold Carmichael, Jason Peters, Robert Quinn |
| Steelers and Ravens | 32 | 16 | Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake, Kordell Stewart, Alejandro Villanueva |
| Chiefs and Raiders | 62 | 39 | Marcus Allen, Rodney Hudson, Marcus Peters, Rich Gannon |
Both sides
| Player | Rivalry | His time with each |
|---|---|---|
| Julius Peppers | Bears and Packers | Chicago Bears 2010 to 2013, then Green Bay Packers 2014 to 2016 |
| Steve McMichael | Bears and Packers | Chicago Bears 1981 to 1993, then Green Bay Packers 1994 |
| Brett Favre | Packers and Vikings | Green Bay Packers 1992 to 2007, then Minnesota Vikings 2009 to 2010 |
| Jan Stenerud | Packers and Vikings | Green Bay Packers 1980 to 1983, then Minnesota Vikings 1984 to 1985 |
| Deion Sanders | Cowboys and Washington | Dallas Cowboys 1995 to 1999, then Washington Redskins 2000 |
| Von Miller | Cowboys and Washington | Washington Commanders 2025, then Dallas Cowboys 2026 |
| Terrell Owens | Cowboys and Eagles | Philadelphia Eagles 2004 to 2005, then Dallas Cowboys 2006 to 2008 |
| Harold Carmichael | Cowboys and Eagles | Philadelphia Eagles 1971 to 1983, then Dallas Cowboys 1984 |
| Rod Woodson | Steelers and Ravens | Pittsburgh Steelers 1987 to 1996, then Baltimore Ravens 1998 to 2001 |
| Carnell Lake | Steelers and Ravens | Pittsburgh Steelers 1989 to 1998, then Baltimore Ravens 2001 |
| Marcus Allen | Chiefs and Raiders | Los Angeles Raiders 1982 to 1992, then Kansas City Chiefs 1993 to 1997 |
| Rodney Hudson | Chiefs and Raiders | Kansas City Chiefs 2011 to 2014, then Oakland Raiders 2015 to 2020 |
Hockey
Mark Recchi played for both Pennsylvania teams twice: Pittsburgh, then Philadelphia, then Montreal, then Philadelphia again and Pittsburgh again. Frank Mahovlich won four Stanley Cups in Toronto in the 1960s and two more in Montreal in the 1970s, and Doug Gilmour, a Leafs captain, played two seasons for the Canadiens before going back to Toronto. Penguins and Flyers have shared more players than any other rivalry here.
| Rivalry | Played for both | Went straight across | Best known |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadiens and Bruins | 53 | 11 | Mark Recchi, Guy Lapointe, Rogie Vachon, Sergei Gonchar |
| Canadiens and Maple Leafs | 74 | 29 | Doug Gilmour, Frank Mahovlich, Mathieu Schneider, Shayne Corson |
| Oilers and Flames | 60 | 16 | Grant Fuhr, Roman Hamrlik, Martin Gelinas, Curtis Joseph |
| Penguins and Flyers | 92 | 44 | Mark Recchi, Paul Coffey, Jaromir Jagr, Jeff Carter |
| Rangers and Islanders | 81 | 16 | Pat LaFontaine, Mathieu Schneider, John Vanbiesbrouck, Doug Weight |
| Red Wings and Avalanche | 50 | 23 | Todd Gill, Brad May, Bobby Dollas, Steve Duchesne |
Both sides
| Player | Rivalry | His time with each |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Recchi | Canadiens and Bruins | Montréal Canadiens 1994-95 to 1998-99, then Boston Bruins 2008-09 to 2010-11 |
| Guy Lapointe | Canadiens and Bruins | Montréal Canadiens 1968-69 to 1981-82, then Boston Bruins 1983-84 |
| Doug Gilmour | Canadiens and Maple Leafs | Toronto Maple Leafs 1991-92 to 1996-97, then Montréal Canadiens 2001-02 to 2002-03, then Toronto Maple Leafs 2002-03 |
| Frank Mahovlich | Canadiens and Maple Leafs | Toronto Maple Leafs 1967-68, then Montréal Canadiens 1970-71 to 1973-74 |
| Grant Fuhr | Oilers and Flames | Edmonton Oilers 1981-82 to 1990-91, then Calgary Flames 1999-00 |
| Roman Hamrlik | Oilers and Flames | Edmonton Oilers 1997-98 to 1999-00, then Calgary Flames 2005-06 to 2006-07 |
| Mark Recchi | Penguins and Flyers | Pittsburgh Penguins 1988-89 to 1991-92, then Philadelphia Flyers 1991-92 to 1994-95 and 1998-99 to 2003-04, then Pittsburgh Penguins 2005-06 to 2007-08 |
| Paul Coffey | Penguins and Flyers | Pittsburgh Penguins 1987-88 to 1991-92, then Philadelphia Flyers 1996-97 to 1997-98 |
| Pat LaFontaine | Rangers and Islanders | New York Islanders 1983-84 to 1990-91, then New York Rangers 1997-98 |
| Mathieu Schneider | Rangers and Islanders | New York Islanders 1994-95 to 1995-96, then New York Rangers 1998-99 to 1999-00 |
| Todd Gill | Red Wings and Avalanche | Detroit Red Wings 1998-99 to 2000-01, then Colorado Avalanche 2001-02 |
| Brad May | Red Wings and Avalanche | Colorado Avalanche 2005-06 to 2006-07, then Detroit Red Wings 2009-10 |
Soccer
Luís Figo's move from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000 is still the most famous crossing in sports; when he came back to the Camp Nou in 2002, someone threw a pig's head at him. Ronaldo played on both sides of two rivalries, for Barcelona and Real Madrid and for Inter and Milan. And since 1963-64, only five players have played for both Liverpool and Manchester United. The last to go directly from one to the other was Phil Chisnall, in 1964.
| Rivalry | Played for both | Best known |
|---|---|---|
| Barcelona and Real Madrid | 22 | Samuel Eto'o, Luís Figo, Ronaldo, Marcos Alonso |
| Real Madrid and Atlético | 20 | Thibaut Courtois, Álvaro Morata, Marcos Llorente, Juanfran Torres |
| Milan and Inter | 42 | Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Roberto Baggio |
| Inter and Juventus | 43 | João Cancelo, Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimović |
| Roma and Lazio | 22 | Pedro, Alessio Romagnoli, Angelo Peruzzi, Roberto Muzzi |
| Liverpool and Manchester United | 5 | Michael Owen, Paul Ince, Ted MacDougall, Stephen Pears |
| Liverpool and Everton | 12 | Conor Coady, Steve McMahon, Peter Beardsley, Nick Barmby |
| Manchester United and City | 13 | Denis Law, Andy Cole, Sammy McIlroy, Peter Barnes |
| Arsenal and Tottenham | 13 | Pat Jennings, Sol Campbell, William Gallas, Clive Allen |
| Bayern and Dortmund | 21 | Robert Lewandowski, Ivan Perišić, Marcel Sabitzer, Mats Hummels |
| Dortmund and Schalke | 26 | Jens Lehmann, Andreas Möller, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Toni Schumacher |
| PSG and Marseille | 50 | Claude Makélélé, George Weah, Adrien Rabiot, Timothy Weah |
Both sides
| Player | Rivalry | His time with each |
|---|---|---|
| Samuel Eto'o | Barcelona and Real Madrid | Real Madrid → FC Barcelona |
| Luís Figo | Barcelona and Real Madrid | FC Barcelona → Real Madrid |
| Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid and Atlético | Atlético de Madrid → Real Madrid |
| Álvaro Morata | Real Madrid and Atlético | Real Madrid → Atlético de Madrid |
| Leonardo Bonucci | Milan and Inter | Inter Milan → AC Milan |
| Andrea Pirlo | Milan and Inter | Inter Milan → AC Milan |
| João Cancelo | Inter and Juventus | Inter Milan → Juventus FC |
| Leonardo Bonucci | Inter and Juventus | Inter Milan → Juventus FC |
| Pedro | Roma and Lazio | AS Roma → SS Lazio |
| Alessio Romagnoli | Roma and Lazio | AS Roma → SS Lazio |
| Michael Owen | Liverpool and Manchester United | Liverpool FC → Manchester United |
| Paul Ince | Liverpool and Manchester United | Manchester United → Liverpool FC |
| Conor Coady | Liverpool and Everton | Liverpool FC → Everton FC |
| Steve McMahon | Liverpool and Everton | Everton FC → Liverpool FC |
| Denis Law | Manchester United and City | Manchester United → Manchester City |
| Andy Cole | Manchester United and City | Manchester United → Manchester City |
| Pat Jennings | Arsenal and Tottenham | Tottenham Hotspur → Arsenal FC |
| Sol Campbell | Arsenal and Tottenham | Tottenham Hotspur → Arsenal FC |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern and Dortmund | Borussia Dortmund → Bayern Munich |
| Ivan Perišić | Bayern and Dortmund | Borussia Dortmund → Bayern Munich |
| Jens Lehmann | Dortmund and Schalke | FC Schalke 04 → Borussia Dortmund |
| Andreas Möller | Dortmund and Schalke | Borussia Dortmund → FC Schalke 04 |
| Claude Makélélé | PSG and Marseille | Olympique Marseille → Paris Saint-Germain |
| George Weah | PSG and Marseille | Paris Saint-Germain → Olympique Marseille |
Use it in Teammate Chain
A player who crossed a rivalry is a bridge between two clubhouses that otherwise share almost nothing. In Teammate Chain, Wade Boggs gets you from the 1980s Red Sox to the 1990s Yankees in one step. For the franchises that have swapped the most players of all, rivals or not, see the busiest pipelines.
How we counted
A player counts if he played for both clubs, in either order and with any number of stops in between, counting a franchise across its moves and renames (the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche). “Went straight across” means the second club was his next one in our data; we leave it out for soccer, where a player’s seasons outside the top five leagues don’t show, so a move through a lower division would look direct. In football, only seasons a player was on a team count, not training camp or the practice squad. In soccer, only seasons a player actually played count, and only clubs he played league games for since 2012-13. Before that, a squad list can put a player on his new club a season early, so we show soccer careers club by club, without seasons.
About the data
Rosters come from the data behind Teammate Chain: every major-league baseball season since 1871, the NBA since 1946-47 (not the ABA), the NFL since 1970, the NHL since 1967-68 and Europe’s top five soccer leagues since 1963-64, so crossings before those seasons aren’t counted. Spot a mistake? Let us know.