Football in Barcelona

Here are five amazing ways to enjoy Football in Barcelona

1.) Decide where you want to watch the game

Many people in Barcelona prefer to watch their game from the stadiums. However, as there is a huge demand for these, the tickets might be sold out, or might cost a bit too much at the entrance to the stadium. It is for this reason that some decide to just watch the matches from bars in the city. Either way, both places are always crowded!

2.) Book early

Buy your football tickets in advance to secure a seat at the match. The tickets go on sale a week before the match and can be purchased from La Caixa cash dispensing machines if you have a visa card from Spain. If not, you will be forced to buy tickets from the Stadium entrance, which are guaranteed to cost more.

3.) Take a Barcelona Tour to discover some nice locations to watch football

Take an intimate guided walk with a native, and discover stadiums and joints that you can go and watch the matches from. From tours of Gaudis‘ Works to discovering Picasso’s Barcelona, there is no better way to discover and learn about the many attractions in Barcelona. Feel free to ask the guides questions on any football events coming up, and their timings, best ways to book, etc. They are very friendly and will make you feel like one of them!

4.) Join the locals

There is no better way to learn about a new place faster than by mingling with the local people who live there! This will especially make a lot of sense if you are meeting these people in a relaxed environment like the bar or the stadiums, where they are chatting about everything and most likely in their best moods! If it’s football season, you will know which teams are the favorites, where they play, etc.

5.) Bet on a player or a team

There is fierce rivalry between clubs, an example being the in the La Liga, where the game between Barca and Real Madrid sparks many emotions and tensions between the fans. So you need to pick which side you are on, and you can even bet on the players and hopefully make some money!

Facts about football in Barcelona

While in Barcelona, you can either buy tickets to go watch a match at the stadium or watch it in a bar. The most famous of these stadiums is the Barcelona football stadium know as Camp Nou, the 3rd largest in the world, and which can hold around 110, 000 people. This number is actually for the seats which are normally full to capacity but there are many people who watch on the side too.

Many people buy their tickets in advance to make sure that they do not miss the match, or to avoid paying much more at the entrances to the stadiums. The tickets normally go on sale a week before the match. Those who altogether miss out on all these do not miss the football event itself, as this is where the bars, also frequented by citizens, come in.

Most of the bars show English Premiership games as well as La Liga and have an international feel. But generally, if you want to identify more with Barcelona, join in the crowds of the locals and enjoy!

Insider’s tips:

• Go to the stadium way earlier before a match, for example if going to the Barcelona FC stadium, and visit the Barcelona FC Museum, where you can pose and take a picture with one of the teams’ trophies.
• Carry something to eat if going to watch a game because the minute you step into a stadium, your options will be limited. Alternatively, eat before coming to the stadium.
• If you attend a match in a large group, there’s a high probability of you getting a discount on the entrance fee!

Where to watch football

Most people will go to the stadiums for the matches, but the other group will normally fill the bars, or watch the screens from the stadiums from the outside.

If taking a metro to Barcelona FC Stadium, the biggest and most famous stadium in Barcelona; Maria Cristina (Green Line, L3)

Opening Hours

The opening times vary a great deal, so the best way would be to contact the stadium directly or check the official websites of different teams for more details.

Why it’s worth seeing

• You need to watch FC Barcelona (the most favorite of the Barcelonians), the only European club to have played continental football every season since 1955.
• The club is also one of the only three clubs never to have been relegated from La Liga, together with Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.
• This same club became the first Spanish club to win the treble in 2009 which consists of La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey, and also the first club to win six out of six competitions in one year-completing the sextuple.