FC Barcelona
Club History
European champions three times in the last decade, FC Barcelona is one of the most dominant, eye-catching, and glamourous teams in world football.
With 26 LaLiga titles, Barcelona are the second-winningest team in Spain’s history, trailing only Real Madrid.
With legends such as Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Andres Iniesta, and more having worn the shirt, FC Barcelona is one of the world’s most historic clubs.
ICC History
FC Barcelona made its ICC debut in the 2015 edition and played against an international mix of clubs: LA Galaxy, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Fiorentina. The club finished 7th in the North America/Europe table, but their striker Luis Suarez was tied for top-goal scorer of the tournament with 3 goals.
FC Barcelona had a run to remember in the 2017 ICC edition. Their participation kicked off with a 2-1 victory over Italian giants Juventus, followed by a 1-0 over Manchester United. Their participation ended with by far the most iconic ICC moment for the club - the first-ever El Clásico played in the United States, and first played outside of Spain since 1982. El Clásico saw longtime rivals Real Madrid C.F. and FC Barcelona match up on Saturday, July 29, at the newly renovated Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. FC Barcelona claimed a 3-2 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 66,014, with goals from Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitić, and Gerard Piqué. This victory was not only special because of the fierce rivalry between the clubs, but also because it earned FC Barcelona their first ICC title.
•ICC Appearances: 4
•Cities Played: Pasadena, CA (2015, 2018), Santa Clara, CA (2015, 2018), Landover, MD (2015, 2017), Florence, Italy (2015), Dublin, Ireland (2016), Solna, Sweden (2016), London, England (2016), East Rutherford, NJ (2017), Miami, FL (2017), Arlington, TX (2018).
•Total ICC Attendance: 822,382 fans
•Best ICC Moment: Defeating Real Madrid 3-2 at a sold-out El Clásico Miami to win the 2017 ICC tournament.
Stadium - Camp Nou
Opened in 1957, Camp Nou has been home to FC Barcelona since its completion.
With a seating capacity of 99,354, it is the largest stadium in Europe, and the fourth-largest football stadium in the world.
Construction on the legendary stadium has begun, as the capacity will be increased to 105,000, and a canopy will be added over the stands. This project is expected to conclude in 2024.
Manager - Ronald Koeman
Following a playing career that saw him make nearly 200 appearances for FC Barcelona in the 1980s and 1990s, Ronald Koeman was hired to manage the club in the summer of 2020.
As a player, the former captain of the Dutch national team was best known for his powerful free kicks and deadball ability, having helped lead Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League final as joint-top scorer of the 1993-1994 tournament.
As a manager, Koeman has been in charge of many top teams, including Ajax, Benfica, Valencia, Southampton, Everton, and most recently, the Netherlands national team. He has earned eight trophies during his managerial career.
Key Players
Lionel Messi
FC Barcelona has quality players throughout its squad, but there is no debate over who is the key man.
A six-time Ballon d’Or winner averaging nearly a goal per game over his 500+ game career with Barca, Lionel Messi is not only this team’s best current player, but the best player they, and possibly the world, have ever seen.
At 33-years-old, Messi is showing no signs of slowing down.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Since joining FC Barcelona in 2014, Marc-Andre ter Stegen has been one of Europe’s most consistent performers.
It comes as no surprise that his name is frequently mentioned in the world’s top goalkeepers conversation.
As of December, 2020, the German keeper has made 156 appearances for Barcelona, winning 12 trophies, earning 66 clean sheets, and posting a record of 111-29-15 along the way.
Ansu Fati
Ansu Fati is one of the world’s most exciting young prospects.
The 18-year-old winger has made 31 appearances for FC Barcelona’s first team, having scored 11 goals in those matches. He has also appeared for Spain’s national team four times, scoring once.
Fati is recognized as the future of Barcelona, and is certainly a player that the club will look to build around moving forward.