Southampton and Portsmouth fans are already arguing who is more successful ahead of South Coast derby

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We’ve waited 13 years to see Southampton and Portsmouth battle it out in a league game, and fans of both teams are making up for lost time in their latest heated debates.

While Southampton handed out a hammering at Fratton Park in 2019 in a 4-0 League Cup win, you’d have to go all the way back to 2012 to find the last meeting between these South Coast clubs.

That’s largely due to the fact Portsmouth have suffered some dismal lows in the last decade or so, plummeting all the way down to League Two at one point.

Now, both sides are back at the same level, and this long-awaited South Coast derby is one of the reasons we’ve been so excited for the 2025/26 Championship campaign. But, which team has the richer history in football?

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Who is more successful, Southampton or Portsmouth?

Obviously, fans of both sides have been arguing over their respective legacies on Twitter/X in the run-up to Sunday’s clash at St. Mary’s.

On the one hand, Southampton fans have pointed to the fact that their club has been on top for the best part of the last 65 years. Indeed, Portsmouth have finished above Southampton in the football ladder just three times since 1960.

The Saints have enjoyed 47 seasons in the top flight of English football, whereas Pompey have been at the top level for 33 seasons in their history. For Southampton supporters, that’s regarded as “total domination,” but that may not be the best metric to judge the two teams on.

Instead, Portsmouth fans have been quick to remind Southampton that it’s the blue team on the South Coast that has the more impressive trophy cabinet. One Pompey supporter said, “I’ll take our far superior successes over them finishing above us any day of the week.”

In their history, Portsmouth have been crowned champions of England twice, have won the Championship title, won the third tier four times, the FA Cup twice (as recently as 2008), and have lifted the League Cup once.

Southampton, on the other hand, have won the FA Cup once and lifted the third tier title twice.

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Southampton vs Portsmouth head-to-head record

It’s hard to argue against Portsmouth having the stronger case for success there, but when you compare the two teams in head-to-head meetings, it’s Southampton who have the upper hand.

Southampton have won 35 of the 71 meetings between the two teams, while Pompey have 21 wins, with 15 draws on the record.

Since the turn of the century, Southampton have won five of the ten matches, while Portsmouth have won three. It’s worth noting, though, that Pompey have enjoyed two 4-1 wins over their rivals in that time, and have not lost a league game against Southampton since 2004.

Now, we wait for the next round of Championship fixtures to see which team gets the bragging rights for the meantime.