Lovingly referred to by fans as Barca, Futbol Club Barcelona (FC Barcelona) has long been known for being a riveting and unstoppable force in the soccer community. Fans love them for their athletic prowess and play and admire the values of their institution - they believe strongly in teamwork as a cornerstone of the game and expect all players to treat each other with respect. The team is a unique blend of players from a mix of backgrounds and geographical locations but the common tie is their extreme passion for the game.
In 1899, a group of Swiss, English and Catalan soccer players joined forces to start a futbol club and it has since become a source of pride for those of Catalan culture. Their motto Mes que un club, or More than a club, refers to their desire to make the sport reflect the traditions of culture and to bring athletes and viewers together in a wildly exciting experience on and around the playing field. The team is owned and operated by supporters, and it is the second-most valuable sports team in the world. With so many fans invested in keeping this team going, it's a safe bet to assume they'll be thriving and playing well for many seasons to come!
FC Barcelona started from humble beginnings, considering it now has the largest social media following of any sports team in the world. In 1899, eleven players showed up in response to an ad for players in the newspaper Los Deportes -- and thus, FC Barcelona was born. The team got off to a great start in regional and national cups and then won its first trophy, the Copa Macaya, in 1902. Originally, they were primarily considered a Castillian Club, but in the early 1910s they changed the official language of the team to Catalan. Slowly, then, they emerged as an important symbol of Catalan identity.
This football club has experienced some mind-blowing victories over the course of its lifetime and seeing them live on the field is always full of unexpected plays, beautiful goals and dazzling footwork. They have won 24 La Liga competitions and 28 Copa del Rey competitions. They scored the win for the European Cup of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup five times each. They also brought in four European Winner's Cups over the years. However, by far their most impressive feat was going on to become FIFA Club World Cup winners a record of three times in 2009, 2011 and 2015.
Fans can catch FC Barcelona match up against some of their biggest rivals at Camp Nou stadium. You won't regret seeing them head-to-head with other greats in the league, like Malaga FC and Sevilla.