FC Barcelona, also known as Barça, is a professional football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It competes in La Liga, the highest level of Spanish football. As one of the most successful and widely supported clubs globally, FC Barcelona is renowned for its rich history, distinctive playing style, and iconic players. The club has won numerous domestic and international titles, including multiple La Liga championships and UEFA Champions League trophies. Beyond its sporting achievements, FC Barcelona represents Catalan identity and culture, with a significant social and political influence.
In 1900, the blue and garnet colors of the FC Barcelona shirt were first worn in a match against Hispania.
In 1901, FC Barcelona participated in the Copa Macaya, the first football competition played on the Iberian Peninsula, losing to Hispania AC.
In 1905, the last time before Joan Gamper became president, FC Barcelona won a competition (Campionat de Catalunya).
In 1908, Hans Gamper, later known as Joan Gamper, became the president of FC Barcelona, stepping in to prevent the club from shutting down due to financial and performance struggles.
On 14 March 1909, FC Barcelona moved into the Camp de la Indústria, a stadium with a capacity of 8,000.
In 1909, the Camp de la Indústria helped the club become a dominant team, winning three successive Campionats de Catalunya between 1909 and 1911.
In 1910, FC Barcelona won three Copa del Rey in four years between 1910 and 1913, and four successive Pyrenees Cup between the inaugural year in 1910 and 1913.
In 1910, the club held a competition among its members to design a new crest, which was won by Carles Comamala.
In 1911, FC Barcelona won three successive Campionats de Catalunya between 1909 and 1911.
In 1912, Joan Gamper recruited Paulino Alcántara, who became the club's seventh all-time top scorer.
In 1913, FC Barcelona won three Copa del Rey in four years between 1910 and 1913, and four successive Pyrenees Cup between the inaugural year in 1910 and 1913.
In 1913, Ramón Torralba started playing for FC Barcelona. He was later honored in 1917 with a tribute match.
On 4 February 1917, FC Barcelona held its first tribute match to honour Ramón Torralba, who played from 1913 to 1928. The match was against Terrassa where Barcelona won 6-2.
In 1917, Jack Greenwell became FC Barcelona's first full-time coach.
In 1917, Jack Greenwell began his first spell as manager of FC Barcelona.
In 1917, Joan Gamper recruited Jack Greenwell as FC Barcelona's first full-time manager.
In 1918, Espanyol initiated a counter-petition against autonomy, a significant issue at the time.
From 1919 to 1928, FC Barcelona, led by Jack Greenwell, won 9 out of 10 Campionats de Catalunya.
In 1920, FC Barcelona won one of the two Copa del Rey titles during the Gamper-led era.
In 1922, FC Barcelona moved to the new Les Cortes stadium, which they inaugurated the same year. It had an initial capacity of 30,000.
In 1922, FC Barcelona won one of the two Copa del Rey titles during the Gamper-led era.
In 1922, with over 20,000 supporters lending money to the club, Barça was able to build the larger Camp de Les Corts, which had an initial capacity of 20,000 spectators.
In 1924, Jack Greenwell ended his first spell as manager of FC Barcelona.
On 14 June 1925, the crowd jeered the Royal March, leading to the ground's closure for six months and Joan Gamper being forced to relinquish the presidency.
1925 was the last year Joan Gamper served as club president. He was president on five separate occasions between 1908 and 1925.
In 1926, the directors of Barcelona publicly claimed to operate a professional football club for the first time.
On 3 July 1927, FC Barcelona held a second testimonial match for Paulino Alcántara against the Spanish national team.
From 1919 to 1928, FC Barcelona, led by Jack Greenwell, won 9 out of 10 Campionats de Catalunya.
In 1928, Ramón Torralba's career with FC Barcelona ended. He was honored in 1917 with a tribute match.
In 1928, the Primera División league started, and from 1928–2022, Espanyol has only managed to end above Barça on three occasions from 87 seasons.
In 1928, victory in the Spanish Cup was celebrated with the poem "Oda a Platko", written by Rafael Alberti, inspired by Franz Platko's performance.
On 23 June 1929, FC Barcelona won the inaugural Spanish League.
In 1929, FC Barcelona was one of the three founding members of the Primera División, and has never been relegated from the top division since its inception.
On 30 July 1930, Joan Gamper committed suicide after a period of depression brought on by personal and financial problems.
In 1930, FC Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya, marking a period of decline at the national level.
In 1931, FC Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya, marking a period of decline at the national level.
In 1931, Jack Greenwell began his second spell as manager of FC Barcelona.
In 1932, FC Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya, marking a period of decline at the national level.
In 1932, FC Barcelona's statutes defined the club as "an association of a cultural and sporting nature".
In 1933, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In 1933, Jack Greenwell ended his second spell as manager of FC Barcelona.
In 1934, FC Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya, marking a period of decline at the national level.
In 1936, FC Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya, marking a period of decline at the national level.
In 1936, the president of Barcelona, Josep Sunyol, was arrested and executed without trial by Franco's troops during the Coup d'état against the democratic Second Spanish Republic.
In 1937, FC Barcelona won the disputed title in the Mediterranean League.
On 16 March 1938, FC Barcelona was bombed by the Italian Air Force, and later faced restrictions under the occupation of Catalonia, including a forced name change and flag removal.
In 1938, FC Barcelona won the Campionat de Catalunya, marking a period of decline at the national level.
In 1939, Franco's rule began, sparking debate over its influence on FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Despite both clubs' fans exaggerating myths, historians suggest Franco favored establishment teams initially. During the early years of his rule, Barcelona secured three league titles, one Copa del Generalísimo, and one Copa Eva Duarte.
In 1943, FC Barcelona faced Real Madrid in the semi-finals of Copa del Generalísimo, winning the first leg 3-0 but losing the second leg 11-1, a match associated with allegations of police threats.
In 1944, one of several expansion projects occurred at Les Corts with the grandstand's renovation.
In 1946, one of several expansion projects occurred at Les Corts with the southern stand's renovation.
In 1947, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In June 1950, Barcelona signed László Kubala, who would later score 196 goals in 256 matches, drawing larger crowds to the games.
In 1950, one of several expansion projects occurred at Les Corts with the northern stand's renovation.
In 1951, Espanyol achieved their largest margin win with a 6–0 victory.
In 1951, FC Barcelona fans supported a tram strike by walking home from a match against Santander, showcasing the club's significance beyond sports.
In 1951, FC Barcelona started what would be known as the "Barça de les Cinc Copes" era.
In 1952, László Kubala set the La Liga record for most goals scored in one match, netting seven goals against Sporting Gijón.
In the 1951-1952 season, "Barça de les Cinc Copes" became the first team in Spanish football to win five trophies in a single season.
In September 1953, discontent arose among Barcelona members due to the Di Stéfano agreement, leading to the president's resignation.
On March 28, 1954, the building of Camp Nou commenced before a crowd of 60,000 Barça fans, with the first stone laid under Governor Felipe Acedo Colunga and Archbishop Gregorio Modrego.
In 1954, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid disputed the signing of Alfredo Di Stéfano. He was to play the 1953–54 and 1955–56 seasons in Madrid, and the 1954–55 and 1956–57 seasons in Barcelona.
In 1955, amidst the ongoing dispute for Alfredo Di Stéfano's signing, he was scheduled to play for Barcelona during the 1954-55 season as part of an agreement.
Since 1955, Barcelona has played in every season of European competitions, including the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
In 1956, amidst the dispute for Alfredo Di Stéfano's signing, he was scheduled to play for Real Madrid during the 1955-56 season as part of an agreement.
On September 24, 1957, construction of Camp Nou concluded, costing 288 million pesetas, 336% over budget.
In 1957, Eulogio Martínez became Barça's top goalscorer in a cup game, when he scored seven goals against Atlético Madrid.
In 1957, FC Barcelona won the only all-Catalan Copa del Rey final.
In 1957, Fernando Maria Castiella, Franco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, noted that "[Real Madrid] is the best embassy we have ever had."
In 1957, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Camp Nou, Josep Maria de Sagarra dedicated a poem titled Blau i grana.
In 1957, the Camp Nou was completed, which meant the club had little money to spend on new players.
In 1959, FC Barcelona and Milan first encountered each other in the European Cup during the 1959–60 season. FC Barcelona won the tie with a 7–1 aggregate score.
In 1959, Real Madrid and Barcelona clashed in the European Cup, with Madrid emerging victorious en route to securing their fifth consecutive title in 1959–60.
In 1959, under coach Helenio Herrera, FC Barcelona won another national double.
In 1960, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid met in the European Cup, with Barcelona prevailing en route to losing the final in 1960-61.
In 1961, FC Barcelona became the first club to beat Real Madrid in a European Cup play-off.
In 1964, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In 1968, FC Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the Copa del Generalísimo final at the Santiago Bernabéu.
In 1969, Fernando Maria Castiella's tenure as Minister of Foreign Affairs under Franco came to an end. He served in this role from 1957, during which he recognized Real Madrid's importance as an "embassy" for Spain.
In 1973, Johan Cruyff joined Barcelona from Ajax for a world record fee. He endeared himself to the fans by stating he chose Barcelona over Real Madrid because he could not play for a club associated with Francisco Franco. During his first season in 1973, he was crowned European Footballer of the Year.
In 1974, "Cant del Barça" (The Song of Barça) was composed for the club's 75th anniversary, with lyrics by Josep Maria Espinàs and Jaume Picas, and music by Manuel Valls.
In 1974, Johan Cruyff received the European Footballer of the Year award for the third time while with Barcelona. In the 1973-74 season, he helped the club win La Liga for the first time since 1960, defeating Real Madrid 5-0.
With the end of Franco's dictatorship in 1974, FC Barcelona changed its official name back to Futbol Club Barcelona and reverted the crest to its original design.
In 1975, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In 1975, Franco died, marking the end of an era. Under his rule, Real Madrid secured numerous titles, while FC Barcelona also achieved considerable success, winning 8 league titles, 9 Copa del Generalísimo titles, 3 Copa Eva Duarte titles, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, and 2 Latin Cups.
On May 16, 1979, FC Barcelona won its first European Cup Winners' Cup, defeating Fortuna Düsseldorf 4–3. Also that year, Núñez began investing in the club's youth program.
In 1980, the club raised money by offering supporters the opportunity to inscribe their name on the bricks for a small fee.
In 1981, Spanish clubs started displaying sponsor names on their shirts.
In June 1982, Diego Maradona was signed by Barcelona for a world record fee of £5 million from Boca Juniors.
At the start of the 1984–85 season, Terry Venables was hired as manager of FC Barcelona.
On 3 March 1986, FC Barcelona's Camp Nou recorded its highest home attendance of 120,000 during a European Cup quarter-final against Juventus.
After the 1986 FIFA World Cup, Barcelona signed Gary Lineker and Andoni Zubizarreta.
At the beginning of the 1987–88 season, Terry Venables was fired and replaced with Luis Aragonés.
On November 28, 1988, Catalan singer-songwriter Joan Manuel Serrat performed "Cant del Barça" at the end of the festival at Camp Nou, in celebration of the club's centenary.
In 1988-1989 season, Real Madrid set an unbeaten record.
In 1988-1989 season, Real Madrid set an unbeaten record.
In 1992, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In 1992, Barcelona won the European Cup final at Wembley against Sampdoria, and also won the European Super Cup.
In preparation for the 1992 Summer Olympics, two tiers of seating were installed above the previous roofline at Camp Nou.
In 1994, Milan beat Johan Cruyff's Dream Team 4–0 in the Champions League final, despite being the underdogs.
In 1996, Bobby Robson took charge of FC Barcelona for a single season, recruiting Ronaldo for a world record transfer fee.
In 1998, FC Barcelona won a Copa del Rey and La Liga double.
In 1999, the club celebrated its centenari, winning the Primera División title, and Rivaldo was named European Footballer of the Year.
In 2000, Luís Figo, then club vice-captain, joined arch-rivals Real Madrid, causing a hostile reaction from Barcelona fans.
In 2000, due to the failure to emulate Real Madrid in the Champions League, van Gaal and Núñez resigned from FC Barcelona.
In 2002, the European encounter between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid was dubbed the "Match of The Century" by Spanish media and was watched by more than 500 million people.
In 2003, Joan Laporta, who organized the independent protest group L'Elefant Blau to oppose the presidency of Núñez, took over the presidency of Barcelona.
In the 2003-04 season, Barcelona dropped down to the Europa League for the first time since 2003–04, subsequently exiting in the quarter-finals.
In 2004, an influx of international players, combined with home grown Spanish players, led to the club's return to success.
In the 2005–06 season, Barcelona repeated their league and Supercopa successes.
In 2006, FC Barcelona signed an agreement with UNICEF to have their name on the front of the shirt, focusing on raising money for the organization.
In the 2007–08 season, Barcelona finished third in La Liga and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and Copa del Rey.
The day after a 4–1 defeat to Real Madrid, Joan Laporta announced that Barcelona B coach Pep Guardiola would take over Frank Rijkaard's duties on 30 June 2008.
In 2008, Espanyol secured a 2–1 victory against FC Barcelona, becoming the first team to defeat Barcelona at Camp Nou during their treble-winning season.
In 2008, according to Deloitte, FC Barcelona had a recorded revenue of €366 million, ranking second to Real Madrid.
Since the 2008–09 season, "el Cant del Barça" has been featured on the official Barcelona jerseys.
In September 2009, Barcelona's membership figures increased to 170,000, attributed to Ronaldinho and Joan Laporta's media strategy.
In December 2009, Barcelona won the 2009 Club World Cup, solidifying their status as one of the greatest teams in history.
On December 18, 2009, Barcelona became the first European football team to win six trophies in a calendar year, achieving the Sextuple.
In 2009, Barcelona captain Carles Puyol kissed his Catalan armband in front of incensed Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
In 2009, FC Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the continental treble, consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League. They also became the first European football club to win six out of six competitions in a single year, also winning the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup.
In May of 2009, Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the Champions League Final, winning their fourth European Cup.
Following Laporta's departure in June 2010, Sandro Rosell was elected as the new president of FC Barcelona.
In November 2010, Barcelona defeated their main rival Real Madrid 5–0 in El Clásico.
In 2010, Forbes evaluated FC Barcelona's worth to be around €752 million (US$1 billion), based on figures from the 2008–09 season.
In 2010, Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta, and Xavi, all players from FC Barcelona's youth academy, were chosen as the three best players in the world in the Ballon d'Or ranking.
In April 2011, Barcelona reached the Copa del Rey final, losing 1–0 to Real Madrid at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia.
In August 2011, La Masia graduate Cesc Fàbregas was bought from Arsenal, helping Barcelona defend the Spanish Supercup against Real Madrid.
In 2011, Barcelona lost the semi-finals of the Champions League against Chelsea. Guardiola announced that he would step down as manager on 30 June and be succeeded by assistant Tito Vilanova. Guardiola finished his tenure with Barça winning the Copa del Rey final 3–0.
In 2011, FC Barcelona became European champions again, winning five trophies, adding to their legacy under Pep Guardiola.
In December 2011, Barcelona won the Club World Cup for a record second time after defeating Santos 4–0 in the final. They also received the Laureus World Sports Award for Team of the Year.
In March 2012, Lionel Messi surpassed César Rodríguez's 232 goals to become FC Barcelona's all-time highest goalscorer in official competitions.
In December 2012, Tito Vilanova took a three-month medical leave for throat cancer treatment.
In 2012, Barcelona faced a 0-2 first leg defeat in the round of 16 of the 2012-13 Champions League.
In 2012, Lionel Messi co-held the Champions League record with five goals against Bayer Leverkusen.
On 11 May 2013, Barcelona were crowned as the Spanish football champions for the 22nd time, still with four games left to play.
On 22 July 2013, Gerardo "Tata" Martino was confirmed as manager of Barcelona for the 2013–14 season.
In 2013, Barcelona made a "historic" comeback from a 0–2 first leg defeat in the round of 16 of the 2012–13 Champions League, winning 4–0 at Camp Nou.
In 2013, Forbes magazine ranked FC Barcelona the third most valuable sports team in the world, with a value of $2.6 billion.
In 2013, the club highlighted the 'Barça Cultura' plan, an initiative that promotes the area of institutional relations and protocol with the aim of offering Barcelona as a platform to promote culture in Catalonia.
On 23 January 2014, Sandro Rosell resigned as president and Josep Maria Bartomeu replaced him to finish the term.
In 2014, Forbes ranked FC Barcelona the second most valuable sports team in the world, worth $3.2 billion.
In 2014, Real Madrid scored a total of 178 goals.
In 2014-15 Season, On 17 May, the club clinched their 23rd La Liga title after defeating Atlético Madrid.
In 2015, Barcelona won the European Super Cup, defeating Sevilla 5–4, and the Club World Cup, beating River Plate 3–0. They also set a record by scoring 180 goals in a calendar year.
In 2015, Barcelona won the treble, securing La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Champions League titles. The attacking trio of Messi, Suárez, and Neymar, dubbed "MSN", scored 122 goals in all competitions.
In 2015, FC Barcelona, under Luis Enrique, won their fifth Champions League trophy, becoming the first European football club in history to achieve the continental treble twice.
On 2 April 2016, after reaching 39 matches unbeaten, Barcelona's run ended with a 2–1 defeat to Real Madrid at Camp Nou.
In 2016, Barcelona renewed their kit deal with Nike until 2028 for a record €155 million per year.
In 2016, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In 2016, Barcelona's La Masia was ranked second by the International Centre for Sports Studies (CIES) as the academy producing the most top-level players globally.
In the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second Leg, Barcelona made the largest comeback in Champions League history, defeating Paris Saint-Germain 6–1.
On 29 May 2017, Ernesto Valverde was named as Luis Enrique's successor.
On 20 September 2017, Barcelona issued a statement supporting the will of the Catalan people regarding the 2017 Catalan referendum. The match against UD Las Palmas on the referendum day was held behind closed doors.
In 2017, Barcelona secured a 5–0 win against Espanyol, marking one of their biggest victories against the rival team.
In 2017, Forbes ranked FC Barcelona the fourth most valuable sports team in the world with a team value of $3.64 billion.
In 2017, Lionel Messi celebrated his 93rd-minute winner for FC Barcelona against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu by taking off his Barcelona shirt and holding it up to incensed Real Madrid fans.
In November 2018, FC Barcelona became the first sports team with average first-team pay in excess of £10m ($13.8m) per year.
On 13 January 2020, Quique Setién replaced Ernesto Valverde as the new head coach of Barcelona, following the loss to Atlético Madrid in the Spanish Supercup.
On 27 October 2020, Josep Maria Bartomeu announced his resignation as president, amidst rising dissatisfaction and to avoid a vote of no confidence.
In December 2020, Lionel Messi surpassed Pelé's 643 goals for Santos to become the highest official scorer for a single club.
In 2020, the presidency of Josep Maria Bartomeu, which began in 2014, came to an end, with years of profligate spending contributing to the club's debt.
In March 2021, Lionel Messi surpassed Xavi's record of 767 games played for FC Barcelona, reaching 778 official appearances in all competitions.
On 7 March 2021, Joan Laporta was elected president of Barcelona.
In August 2021, Barcelona announced they were unable to re-sign Lionel Messi due to La Liga regulations, leading to his departure.
In December 2021, 88% of the club members voted in favor of the Espai Barça project to revamp the club's sporting facilities.
In 2021, FC Barcelona's gross debt rose to about $1.4 billion, much of it short-term.
In 2021, behind-the-scenes filming took place with the coaching staff and players for the docuseries FC Barcelona: A New Era.
As of March 2022 there are 1,264 officially registered Barcelona fan clubs around the world.
In December 2022, Amazon Prime Video released a five-episode docuseries called FC Barcelona: A New Era, documenting the club's 2021–22 season.
In 2022, FC Barcelona and Òmnium signed an agreement to promote the Catalan language, culture, and the country.
In 2022, considering the Primera División league table from 1928–2022, Espanyol has only managed to end above FC Barcelona on three occasions out of 87 seasons.
On 15 January 2023, Xavi guided Barcelona to their first trophy since the 2021 Copa del Rey, defeating Real Madrid 3–1 in the Supercopa de España final.
On June 1, 2023, renovation work on Camp Nou began, aiming to finish by the end of 2026.
In September 2023, Amazon Prime Video launched the second season of FC Barcelona: A New Era, a five-episode docuseries focusing on their 2022–23 behind-the-scenes season.
In 2023, Barcelona became the revenue leader in Europe from the sale of kits and merchandising with a turnover of €179 million.
On November 9, 2024, FC Barcelona announced its new sponsorship deal with Nike, reportedly the highest deal in football history.
In November 2024, Barcelona is expected to return to Camp Nou, though the stadium will still be under construction.
In 2026, renovation work on Camp Nou is projected to finish, with an estimated €1.5 billion net funding.
The renewed Kit Deal between FC Barcelona and Nike is slated to end in 2028.