Barcelona Logo PNG
One of the best football teams in the world is “Barcelona,” whose logo illustrates the club’s rich history of success. Commitment to the club is symbolized by the emblem’s virtually unchanged execution, reflecting stability in the sports leader’s worldview, strategy, and tactics.
Barcelona: Brand overview
October 22 1899, an ad appeared in Los Deportes. Swiss expatriate Hans Max Gamper, later known as Joan Gamper, called for players to form a club in Barcelona. On November 29, eleven men met and founded Futbol Club Barcelona.
From the outset, Gamper promoted open membership and voting-based governance. The team adopted blue and garnet stripes and quickly entered Catalan competitions. In 1902, Barcelona won the Copa Macaya and reached the first Copa del Rey final.
In 1908, the club faced collapse. Gamper became president and stabilized finances. A new ground, Camp de la Industria, opened in 1909, followed by a larger stadium in 1922. Political pressure intensified, and in 1925, Gamper was forced into exile amid protests. He died in 1930.
The Spanish Civil War of 1936–1939 hit hard. President Josep Sunyol was executed in 1938. Under Francisco Franco, the club’s name changed to Barcelona Club de Futbol, and Catalan symbols were reduced, yet the club won titles in the 1940s and 1950s.
Camp Nou opened in 1957 as Europe’s largest stadium. Johan Cruyff joined in 1973 and led the club to a league title in 1974, defeating rivals Real Madrid. La Masia academy started in 1979. As a coach, Cruyff built a dominant side from 1991 to 1994.
Barcelona won the European Cup in 1992 against Sampdoria at Wembley. The 2008–09 season under Pep Guardiola brought six trophies in UEFA competitions. Lionel Messi played from 2004 to 2021, with Luis Suarez and Neymar forming a prolific attack in 2014–2017. The club remains member-owned with a large voting base.
Meaning and History
The football club “Barcelona,” also known as “Barça,” was founded by Swiss businessman Joan Gamper. On October 22, 1899, he sent a note to the local newspaper proposing that all interested parties help create a football club. Eleven people responded, and a month later, on November 29, 1899, they formed a team named FC Ball (Foot Ball Club Barcelona).
From the team’s foundation, the club’s uniform had a blue-and-maroon color scheme: one half of the shirt was blue, the other half maroon, and the shorts were white.
The famous “Barcelona” emblem appeared in 1910. With minor changes, it has been preserved to this day. Initially, the emblem of Barcelona was used to highlight the club’s belonging to the city. But later, the team decided to create its coat of arms.
Over the years, the team has had several versions of the same logo, the most radical and, at the same time, legendary, dating back to 1910. Subsequent versions of subsequent years almost entirely replicate the club’s unchanging worldview.
For the first 11 years of the club’s existence, the coat of arms of Barcelona was used as the emblem, but in 1910, the founder of “Barça” decided it was time to acquire the team’s symbolism. A team player and medical student, Carles Comamala, won the competition for the best emblem.
The “Barcelona” emblem depicts the cross of Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia. In 2010, before signing an advertising contract with Qatar Foundation (150 million dollars), the club’s management changed it for Muslim fans. Thus, the horizontal stripe was removed.
The early 20th-century ball depicted on the “Barcelona” sign remained original. Over 105 years, the emblem underwent 12 minor changes.
In 2018, an attempt was made to update the club’s symbol. The new version of the logo looked more concise than the previous ones, as it lacks protruding elements and an abbreviation. Also, the “Summa” agency (tasked with updating the logo) enhanced the color of the ball’s borders, making it look golden. And the overall color palette shifted toward the bright end of the spectrum. This emblem was presented to the club members to obtain their approval of the changes. At the general meeting of all club members on October 20, the emblem was rejected by a vote.
What is Barcelona?
“Barcelona” is a football club often referred to by fans as “Barça.” It was founded in 1899 and is named after the Spanish city where its home stadium, Camp Nou, is located. The team is part of La Liga and has won more than 25 league championships. Additionally, the team has won several FIFA Club World Cups, the UEFA Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and other major competitions. “Barcelona” is known as a symbol of Catalan culture: during matches, fans bring Catalan flags.
1899 – 1910
The debut symbolism centers on a golden diamond between two branches of laurel and palm. The central element is divided into four parts: two depict the Catalan flag (red stripes on a yellow field), and two show a broad crimson cross on a white background. Above the geometric figure is a crown with precious stones, embodying monarchical power and hinting at the club’s noble roots. Above is depicted a black bat with its wings spread.
1910 – 1920
The final logo of the “Barcelona” team, still relevant today, was adopted in 1910. Subsequent changes (and there were several) did not affect its essence; they were minor adjustments to small details. In particular, changes touched the style, outline, and arrangement of letters. But heraldic elements were precisely preserved: a large figured shield with four zones depicting the cross of Saint George, the flag of Catalonia, the club’s abbreviated name, the uniform colors, and a football.
1920 – 1936
Ten years later, designers intensified the palette of key details, making the background of the letters and ball vividly yellow. They also worked on the ornament on the shield’s border and replaced complex elements with six strict lines, three on each side.
1936 – 1941
The abbreviation is placed on a dark blue ribbon crossing the shield in this version.
1941 – 1949
The logo of this period shares many characteristics with the modern version, except for the thickening at the bottom and the increased color intensity.
1949 – 1960
After the redesign, the emblem received a brown ball, a white background for the name, and an abbreviation supplemented with the Spanish preposition “de.”
1960 – 1974
The logo of the 60s was squat. It was dominated by red shades, which replaced the brown ones. Another change concerned the return of yellow.
1974 – 1975
In this version, “FCB” once again had a white backdrop. Also, the side trim elements were changed.
1975 – 2002
A year later, the emblem gained brightness and clarity. The existing palette was enhanced, letters were highlighted in bold font, and the ball’s color was changed.
2002 – today
With the advent of the millennium, the club decided to modernize the emblem. The work was entrusted to designer Claret Serrahima, who removed the dots from the team’s abbreviated name, reduced the shield’s second half, and left one tooth at the bottom instead of three. He also removed the extra decorations from the outer edge.
Font and Colors
The team’s emblem has always consisted of several heraldic elements and has been divided into four parts. Each reflects a certain idea: the aspiration for development, occupation, respect for roots, and a close connection with the homeland.
The upper-left corner bears the cross of Saint George, the emblem of Catalonia’s patron saint. There, to the right, are four red stripes on a yellow background – the flag of the Catalan Senyera. Underneath stretches a broadband with the inscription “FCB” in uppercase. This is the abbreviation of the football club’s full name, “Barcelona.” Black letters on a golden backdrop separate the lower part, which depicts a yellow ball with three red lines on a blue field – the color of the players’ uniforms.
The swirling medieval shield unites all elements with a dark border.
There are three legends about the company’s blue and maroon colors. Its founder, Hans Gamper, could not choose the team’s clothing color. He was torn between his native Swiss canton, Ticino, and his first club, “Excelsior.” It is also said that at the founding meeting in 1899, one of the participants had a popular two-sided blue-and-maroon pencil.
The red and yellow stripes became Catalonia’s colors. During the time of Spanish dictator Franco (1939-1975), the four stripes were reduced to two because the Spanish flag has the same colors but fewer stripes. At the end of the 40s, political repression eased, and in honor of the club’s 50th anniversary, the stripe was restored.
The font used on the logo is Sans Serif, a variant designed by Tobias Frere-Jones. It is called Interstate Bold.
Barca logo