Barcelona Ball

In Barcelona my friends and I decided that we really wanted to go to an FC Barcelona football match, and it was perfect luck that there was one that very night.

Camp Nou in Barcelona

We asked a Spanish-but-mostly-Catalan-speaking man in a restaurant how we could get tickets.  He took us to a machine that looks like an ATM but apparently releases tickets to events when you paid with a credit card.  We could not figure out how to select the tickets so we decided to buy them at the stadium.

We got to the stadium later that night and looked for pre-game street ticket sellers (commonly referred to as scalpers).  I paid 30 euros for my ticket and into the stadium I went!

The gate through which I was to enter was in the 90s, of course separated from the others in my party.  I did not mind this in the least because it meant I would be free to immerse myself in the living culture of Barcelona fanhood.  I was presently in the 'teen gates, so I had some walking to do, aaaaall the way around the stadium.  I got to my gate at last and give my ticket (made of glossy, flimsy paper you'd find on a magazine page rather than the almost-cardboard-like consistency I had expected) to the ticket taker.  I was inside of Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's house!  It was exciting to me as an American because FC Barcelona, I am told, is one of the elite franchises in the world, and I was a foreign guest!

I thought my seat was great.  I was in the fifth row of the upper deck, up and to the right of one of the goals.  There was a group of Americans to my left, who looked American.  I was surprised to see so many of us.

The fans in the crowd were not as raucous as I had been led to believe.  I could see no shirtless, screaming fanatics making a scene with their passion for the game.  I saw no brawls throughout the entire duration of the game.  Maybe it's the English football fanatics I was thinking of.  The fans in Camp Nou were nevertheless an excitable bunch, wild and crazy at the first sign of an impending Barca goal.  It was a great environment to be in because everybody, even small children, were into the game and ready to celebrate.

The game went Barcelona's way, 4-2 against RCD Mallorca.  Lionel Messi, one of the best players in the world, scored on a penalty kick in the goal closest to me amidst chants of "MEEEES-SI! MEEEES-SI!"  I felt honored to be in his presence.  I was cultured!

Confetti rained from the top of the open roof when the game was over, and the happy fans and I reveled in the splendor.  I had found a European football team!