Sport in Barcelona

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is the second largest city and metropolitan area in Spain and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union. It has hosted many major international tournaments and has professional teams in different sports.

International tournaments

Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the highly successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches during the 1982 FIFA World Cup. It has also hosted, among others:

Olympics and Paralympics

As alternative to the Nazi Olympics in Berlin, planned 1936 Summer Olympics named People's Olympiad in Barcelona was to be held, however because of the war it be canceled. Barcelona hosted the highly successful 1992 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Paralympics. Also, the city aspires to organize the 2022 Winter Olympics. The opening, closing, medal ceremonies and indoor sports would be held in Barcelona, while outdoor sports would be held in ski resorts in the Pyrenees, mainly La Molina. This does not preclude the use of other sky resorts in Catalonia, example Vall de Núria, Vallter 2000, Rasos de Peguera and Port del Comte.

Sport clubs

Club	Primary league	Sport	Venue	Established	Capacity
FC Barcelona	La Liga	Football	Camp Nou	1899	99,354
RCD Espanyol	La Liga	Football	Estadi Cornellà-El Prat	1900	40,000
FC Barcelona Bàsquet	ACB	Basketball	Palau Blaugrana	1926	7,585
FC Barcelona Handbol	Asobal	Handball	Palau Blaugrana	1942	7,585
FC Barcelona Ice Hockey	SEdHH	Ice hockey	Palau de Gel	1972	1,256
FC Barcelona Hoquei	OK Liga	Roller hockey	Palau Blaugrana	1942	7,585
FC Barcelona Futsal	Primera División de Futsal	Futsal	Palau Blaugrana	1986	7,585
FC Barcelona Rugby	División de Honor de Rugby	Rugby union	CDMVdHT	1924	500
Barcelona Dragons	World League	American football	Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys	1991	54,367
Barcelona Búfals	LNFA	American football	Estadio Narcís Sala	1987	15,000

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona is a sports club best known worldwide for its football team, one of the largest in the world and [Deloitte Football Money League|second richest association football|football club] in the world. It has 74 national honours and 16 continental trophies, including five UEFA Champions Leagues and three FIFA Club World Cups. Additionally, it is the only men's club in the world to accomplish a sextuple. FC Barcelona also has teams in the Spanish basketball ACB league, the handball ASOBAL league, and the roller hockey league, all of them winners of the highest European competitions. The club's museum is the second most visited in Catalonia. Twice a season, FC Barcelona and cross-town rivals RCD Espanyol contest in the local derby in La Liga, while its basketball section has its own local derby in Liga ACB with nearby Joventut Badalona. Barcelona also has other clubs in lower categories, like CE Europa and UE Sant Andreu.

RCD Espanyol

Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona, or simply RCD Espanyol, is a sports club best known for its football team. In 1928, Espanyol became a founding member of La Liga, and in 1929, the football team won their first Copa del Rey. Espanyol has completed the highest number of seasons in La Liga without actually winning the title.
The team has qualified eight times for the UEFA Cup and reached the final in 1988, losing to Bayer Leverkusen of then-West Germany on penalty kicks.

Stadiums and sport arenas

Barcelona has two UEFA elite stadiums : FC Barcelona's Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 100,000 and the publicly owned Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with a capacity of 55,000; used for the 1992 Olympics. Also, the city has several smaller stadiums such as Mini Estadi, with a capacity of 15,000 and Estadio Narcís Sala, Nou Sardenya with a capacity of 7,000 and Camp de la Verneda, with a capacity of 5,500. In the suburbs of Barcelona there is a third UEFA elite stadium - Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, with a capacity of 40,000. Estadi de la Nova Creu Alta, with a capacity of 20,000 is stadium on the suburbs, during the 1992 Summer Olympics it hosted six football matches. Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa, with a capacity of 11,500; Camp del Centenari, with a capacity of 10,000 and Estadi La Feixa Llarga, with a capacity of 6,700 is other stadium on the suburbs of Barcelona. Also, except Palau Sant Jordi, with a capacity of 12,000-24,000, city has two other larger sporting and concert arena: Palau Blaugrana, with a capacity of 7,500 and Palau dels Esports de Barcelona. On the suburbs lies Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona, with a capacity of 12,500 and Palau d'Esports de Granollers, with a capacity of 5,700, both hosted some tournaments of the 1992 Summer Olympics and also Pavelló Nou Congost, with a capacity of 5,000. Circuit de Catalunya/Circuit de Barcelona, race track of Formula 1 and MotoGP on the suburb of Barcelona has capacity of 107,000.

Annual sporting events

Barcelona Marathon and Cursa de Bombers

Several major road running competitions are organized year-round in Barcelona: the Barcelona Marathon every March with a participants of over 10,000 in 2010, the Cursa de Bombers in April, the Cursa de El Corte Inglés in May - this race holds IAAF Bronze Label Road Race status. Other small road running are: the Cursa de la Mercè, the Cursa Jean Bouin, the Milla Sagrada Família and the San Silvestre.

Barcelona Open

The Barcelona Open, a 50-year-old ATP World Tour 500 Series tennis tournament, is held annually in the facilities of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. Also, each Christmas, a swimming race across the port is organized.

Formula 1 and MotoGP

Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the 107,000 capacity Circuit de Catalunya / Circuit de Barcelona racetrack hosts the Formula One World Championship, Formula One Spanish Grand Prix, Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, Spanish GT Championship and GP2 Series.

Aerosport

Aerosport is an airshow that takes place at the Igualada-Òdena aerodrome in Barcelona Province every year since 1993. It is the only Spanish airshow fully dedicated to corporate and sport aircraft. The show includes displays, demonstrations and flights of ultralight aircraft, autogyros, gliders, acrobatic aircraft, paramotors, helicopters, amateur aircraft, aeronautical accessories, flight training schools, clubs and a secondhand market.

Other

Barcelona World Race

Barcelona World Race is a non-stop, round-the-world yacht race for crews of two, sailed on Open 60 IMOCA monohull boats.

Other

Skateboarding and bicycling are also very popular in Barcelona. In the city and the metropolitan area, there are tens of kilometers of bicycle paths.

Circuit /tracks

In the suburbs lies Parcmotor Castellolí motor racing track. Also, Montjuïc circuit is a former street circuit located on the Montjuïc mountain in Barcelona. Pedralbes Circuit was street racing course near Barcelona. Sitges Terramar is a former racing circuit located between Sant Pere de Ribes and Sitges near Barcelona.