Barcelona is the home city of two internationally-known football teams:FC Barcelona , also known as Barça , who play at the 100,000 capacity Camp Nou stadium, and RCD Espanyol , who play at the 56,000 capacity Olympic Stadium. FC Barcelona has also internationally known basketball, handball and roller hockey teams that play at the Palau Blaugrana, situated in the same complex as the Camp Nou.

Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the Circuit de Catalunya racetrack hosts the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix.

Also Barcelona is one of most attractive city for skateboarding and thousands of skateboarders visit it every year. This overwhelming popularity of Barcelona among skateboarders lead to a new anti-skateboarding (and multiple other activities) law, which came in effect on the first day of 2006 . Even though it is still possible to skateboard in the city, skateboarders are sometimes given tickets.