Founding of FC Barcelona 1899
The most successful Spanish women's team, with eleven league titles and four Champions League wins.
Futbol Club Barcelona Femení, commonly referred to as Barça Femení (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈbaɾsə fəməˈni]) or simply Barça, is a Spanish professional women's football team based in Barcelona, Catalonia. It is the women's football section of FC Barcelona and competes in the Liga F, the top tier of Spanish women's football, playing home games at the Johan Cruyff Stadium in Sant Joan Despí, and occasionally at the Camp Nou.
Quick Facts
- First match date
- Christmas Day 1970
Lore & Background
The team was formed in 1970 independently, with no official financial or logistical support from FC Barcelona at the time. In its inaugural season it competed in matches against other Catalan teams; it was originally known as Selecció Ciutat de Barcelona before taking the name Peña Femenina Barcelonista in 1971. Shortly after women's football was officially recognised in Spain, the team became known as Club Femení Barcelona in 1983 until 2002, when it officially became a section of FC Barcelona and took the official name Futbol Club Barcelona.
Reader's Guide
Domestically, Barcelona Femení is the most successful Spanish women's team, with eleven league titles, twelve Copas de la Reina, and six Supercopas, as well as eleven Copas Catalunyas. It also won the previous second tier of Spanish women's football a record four times after battling relegation and fighting for promotion throughout the 2000s. Since the club's professionalisation in 2015, Barcelona has cemented itself as Spain's dominant women's football team, becoming the league's most successful team in the UEFA Women's Champions League, and one of the most successful women's football teams in Europe.
It won the Champions League in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2026; with its first Champions League title, Barcelona became the first (and only) Spanish women's team to complete a continental treble, and with its third Champions League win, they became the first (and only) Spanish women's team to complete a continental quadruple.
Did You Know?
- The team played its first match on Christmas Day 1970, drawing 0-0 against Unió Esportiva Centelles in front of a crowd of around 1,000 people.
- The team was created after footballer Immaculada Cabecerán approached the club with the proposition in October 1970.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded FC Barcelona and how did the process begin?
Swiss expatriate Joan Gamper initiated the club by placing a recruitment advertisement in the sports newspaper Los Deportes to find players interested in English-style football. He successfully gathered a diverse group of friends at the Gimnàs Solé gymnasium, where they agreed to form the association in November 1899.
How many people comprised the original founding group?
Eleven players responded to Gamper's call and attended the initial meetings, forming a multinational roster that included Swiss, German, British, Spanish, and Catalan individuals. This small but international cohort established the club's early identity during their gathering at the gymnasium.
Where did the first founding meetings take place?
The club was organized at the Gimnàs Solé, a modest gymnasium in Barcelona where Gamper and the prospective members convened to formalize their plans. This venue served as the physical birthplace of the team before they began playing competitive fixtures.
When did FC Barcelona play its first match?
Shortly after the November meetings, the newly formed squad took the field for their debut game in December 1899. This early fixture marked the transition from planning to active competition just weeks after the club's establishment.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in FC Barcelona
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