Barcelona hefur langa íþróttahefð og var gestgjafi mjög vel heppnuðra sumarólympíuleika 1992 auk nokkurra leikja á heimsmeistaramóti FIFA 1982 (á tveimur völlum). Það hefur einnig verið gestgjafi, meðal annars, úrslitaleik Evrópu Meistaradeildarinnar (1989, 1999), Evrópu Cup Winners 'Cup (1972, 1982), UEFA Cup (1988), Evrópu Super Cup (1979, 1982, 1989, 1992, 1997), Inter-Cities Fairs Cup (1958, 1960, 1962, 1964), Eurobasket (1973, 1997), Euroleague (1969, 1998, 2003, 2011), World Bowl (1997), CERS Cup (2011), 2003 EuroHockey Nations Championship og 1951, 1954, 1957, 1979 European Roller Hockey Championship, 1955 Miðjarðarhafsleikir, 1958 Evrópu Judo Meistaramótaröð, 1964 UEFA Euro (Evrópukeppni).
, 1970 Evrópumeistaramót í vatnspolo, 1970 Evrópumeistaramót í vatnsíþróttum, 1971 Hokkíheimsmeistaramót karla, 1973 UCI Road World Championships, 1976 Evrópumeistaramót í Taekwondo, 1980 Evrópumeistaramót í Karate, 1984 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, 1984 UCI Road World Championships, 1985 World Fencing Championships, 1987 World Taekwondo Championships, 1987 European Wushu Championships, 1989 IAAF World Race Walking Cup, 1989 IAAF World Cup, 1991 World Judo Championships, 1991 FINA Men's Water Polo World Cup, 1995 IAAF World Indoor Championships, 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, 1996 FIFA Futsal World Championship, 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship (margir leikir), 2002 Euro Beach Soccer Cup, 2002 Rugby World Cup kvenna, 2002 Interuniversity World Games, 2003 World Aquatics Championships, 2006 Hockey World Championships, 2007 European Baseball Cup, 2007 UEFA Meridian World Championships, 2010 European Athletics Snowboarding Championships, 2011 FISCA World Championships Heimsmeistaramótið í vatnsíþróttum 2013 verður haldið árið 2013 og FIBA-heimsmeistaramótið í körfubolta árið 2014.