Claim: In 1899, FC Barcelona was formed.

Futbol Club Barcelona -LRB- -LSB- fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə -RSB- -RRB- , commonly known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a professional football club based in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain .   Founded in 1899 by a group of Swiss , English and Catalan footballers led by Joan Gamper , the club has become a symbol of Catalan culture and Catalanism , hence the motto `` Més que un club '' -LRB- `` More than a club '' -RRB- . Unlike many other football clubs , the supporters own and operate Barcelona . It is the second most valuable sports team in the world , worth $ 3.56 billion , and the world 's second richest football club in terms of revenue , with an annual turnover of $ 560.8 million . The official Barcelona anthem is the `` Cant del Barça '' , written by Jaume Picas and Josep Maria Espinàs .   Domestically , Barcelona has won 24 La Liga , 29 Copa del Rey , 12 Supercopa de España , 3 Copa Eva Duarte and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies , as well as being the record holder for the latter four competitions . In international club football , Barcelona has won twenty European and World titles -- four UEFA Champions League titles and one European Cup , a record four UEFA Cup Winners ' Cup , a shared record five UEFA Super Cup , a record three Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and a record three FIFA Club World Cup . Barcelona was ranked first in the IFFHS Club World Ranking for 1997 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 and 2015 and currently occupies the third position on the UEFA club rankings . The club has a long-standing rivalry with Real Madrid ; matches between the two teams are referred to as El Clásico .   Barcelona is one of the most widely supported teams in the world , and the club has the largest social media following in the world among sports teams . Barcelona players have won a record number of Ballon d'Or awards -LRB- 11 -RRB- , with recipients including Johan Cruyff , as well as a record number of FIFA World Player of the Year awards -LRB- 7 -RRB- , with winners including Ronaldo , Romário and Ronaldinho . In 2010 , three players who came through the club 's youth academy -LRB- Lionel Messi , Andrés Iniesta and Xavi -RRB- were chosen as the three best players in the world in the FIFA Ballon d'Or awards , an unprecedented feat for players from the same football school .   Barcelona is one of three founding members of the Primera División that have never been relegated from the top division , along with Athletic Bilbao and Real Madrid . In 2009 , Barcelona became the first Spanish club to win the continental treble consisting of La Liga , Copa del Rey , and the UEFA Champions League , and also became the first football club to win six out of six competitions in a single year , completing the sextuple in also winning the Spanish Super Cup , UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup . In 2011 , the club became European champions again and won five trophies . This Barcelona team , which won 14 trophies in just 4 years under Pep Guardiola , is considered by some in the sport to be the greatest team of all time . By winning their fifth Champions League trophy on 6 June 2015 , Barcelona became the first European club in history to achieve the continental treble twice .