Celtic FC and FC Barcelona, two iconic footballing institutions, have both tasted success in Europe’s elite club competition, albeit in different eras and to varying degrees.
Founded in 1887, Celtic FC boasts a rich history in the UEFA Champions League, famously winning it in 1967, when it was known as the European Cup. Celtic were the first British side to win it and they continued to perform impressively through the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, despite their dominance in Scottish football, they’ve struggled to make a significant impact on the Champions League in recent years. They last reached the knockout stages of the competition in 2012/13, losing to Juventus 5-0 on aggregate.
FC Barcelona didn’t win their first European Cup until 1992, beating Sampdoria 1-0 in the final after extra-time. The Catalan giants have since added four more UEFA Champions League trophies, in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015. It was during the era of Lionel Messi that Barcelona, perhaps unsurprisingly, dominated European football.
In recent years, Barcelona have struggled to leave their mark on the UEFA Champions League. They’ve repeatedly crumbled under pressure, failing to advance from the group stages in 2021/22 and 2022/23.
Celtic FC vs FC Barcelona Head to Head
These two European teams have crossed paths on many occasions in European football. Their first meeting was in 1964, when Barcelona knocked Celtic out in the second round of the Fairs Cup.
In 2004, Celtic performed heroics to eliminate Barcelona in the fourth round of the UEFA Cup. Alan Thompson scored the only goal of a bad-tempered first leg at Celtic Park in which three players were sent off. The second leg at the Camp Nou finished goalless, and Celtic waltzed through to the next round.
In 2007/08, on a rare occasion when Celtic managed to qualify from the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, the two teams met in the Round of 16. In Scotland, a Messi brace helped Barcelona to a 3-2 win, and Xavi scored the only goal in the second-leg to complete a comfortable 4-2 aggregate victory.
The two teams were paired together in the group stages in 2012/13, 2013/14, and 2016/17, and on the whole, Barcelona have dominated, with one exception coming in 2012 when goals from Victor Wanyama and Tony Watt earned Celtic a famous win over their illustrious opponents. September 2016 represented a new low for Celtic in the fixture, with Messi netting a hat-trick in a humiliating 7-0 drubbing.
Celtic FC vs FC Barcelona Connections
There aren’t many players who have crossed the divide between Celtic and Barcelona, with Marc Crosas and Efrain Jaurez being two such examples. However, the most famous player to star for both teams was goal machine Henrik Larsson.
The Swedish striker moved from Dutch side Feyenoord to Celtic in 1997 and did so at a time when the Scottish club was struggling. They hadn’t won a domestic title in a decade, and no one could have imagined just how much of an impact the lively attacker would make.
Over the course of his prolific seven-season spell, Larsson scored an incredible 242 goals in 313 games and helped Celtic to a multitude of trophies. These included four Scottish titles and four domestic cups, as well as a run to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003.
He left to join Barcelona in 2004 and proved a very useful signing, scoring 19 goals in 59 matches, and most famously played a key role in the club’s win over Arsenal in the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, when he came off the bench to have a hand in both goals.
He left Camp Nou in 2006 to rejoin his former club Helsingborg before enjoying a brief loan spell at Manchester United later in his career.
