FC Barcelona is a football club.
The 2008 -- 09 UEFA Champions League was the 54th edition of Europe 's premier club football tournament and the 17th edition under the current UEFA Champions League format . Futbol Club Barcelona ( [ fubˈbɔɫ ˈkɫub bərsəˈɫonə ] ) , commonly known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça , is a professional football club based in Barcelona , Catalonia , Spain . Unlike many other football clubs , the supporters own and operate Barcelona . Lionel Andrés `` Leo '' Messi ( [ ljoˈnel anˈdɾes ˈmesi ] ; born 24 June 1987 ) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team .