Introduction
FC Barcelona has long been a one of the greatest clubs in football history, largely known for its rich history including 5 UEFA Champions Leagues and exceptional talents generated through the La Masia youth program. Yet, since their treble-winning 2014/15 season, the club has been unable to replicate their UEFA Champions League triumphs of the past. This article ranks the top five seasons FC Barcelona has had since that historic campaign.
2024/25 - The Flick Era Begins
The season began with a hard-fought 1-2 victory against Valencia at the Mestalla on August 17, breaking a two-year streak of opening match day draws. A standout moment this season was the emphatic 4-1 triumph over Bayern Munich at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on October 23, followed by a dominant 4-0 El Clásico victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu just three days later. These performances displayed FC Barcelona's resurgence as top contenders on both the domestic and European fronts. Further, despite an 8 game slump in form in which Barça only won one of their eight La Liga games, as of March 1, they have regained pole position in the La Liga title race with 54 points, putting them ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference.
Furthermore, Barça have so far won one trophy this season which was the Supercopa de España, in which they defeated Real Madrid 2-5 in the final with Raphinha scoring a brace. They also remain strong contenders for all three other competitions they participated in throughout the season including La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, and the Copa Del Ray.
Trophy Overview:
Supercopa de España winners (2-5 vs. Real Madrid)
2018/19 - A Messi Masterclass
Lionel Messi celebrating against Atletico Madrid - Image Credit: beIN SPORTS The 2018/19 season was largely a season of domestic dominance, propelled by Lionel Messi's exceptional performances. Under the guidance of manager Ernesto Valverde, the team secured the La Liga title with three matches to spare, following a 1–0 victory over Levante at the Camp Nou on April 27, 2019 with none other than Lionel Messi scoring the winner.
In addition to their league success, FC Barcelona reached the Copa del Rey final but were sadly defeated 2–1 by Valencia at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville.
The UEFA Champions League campaign was marked by a dramatic semi-final clash against Liverpool. After securing a 3–0 advantage in the first leg at Camp Nou including a Lionel Messi screamer, Barça suffered a heartbreaking 4–0 defeat at Anfield, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
In the 2018/19 season, with Luis Suárez no longer anywhere near his peak, Lionel Messi almost single-handedly carried an average Barça team to the treble. In the process, he managed 51 goals and 19 assists in 50 games at the age of 31, marking what some consider to be his best season to date.
Trophy Overview:
Supercopa de España winners (1-2 vs. Sevilla)
La Liga winners (1-0 vs. Levante to secure the title)
2022/23 - The Resurgence
A group of Barça players celebrating a Jordi Alba winner against Osasuna during the 2022/23 season - Image Credit: FC Barcelona The 2022/23 campaign under Xavi Hernández was largely a success for FC Barcelona. After years of struggles, financial issues, and managerial instability, Barça finally reclaimed the coveted La Liga title. To go with this, Barça had a dominant defensive record only allowing 20 goals in 38 La Liga games with Marc-André ter Stegen keeping 26 clean sheets. Also, new signings like Robert Lewandowski, Jules Koundé, Frank Kessié, and Raphinha played crucial roles in Barça's league campaign. While the Champions League campaign was disappointing as Barça failed to progress from their group (although they were robbed of a penalty against Inter Milan), winning La Liga and the Supercopa de España signaled a true return to the top of Spanish football.
Trophy Overview:
Supercopa de España winners (1-3 vs. Real Madrid)
La Liga winners (2-4 vs Espanyol to secure the title)
2017/18 - Domestic Dominance
Under Ernesto Valverde, FC Barcelona nearly completed an unbeaten La Liga season, losing only against Levante. Despite Neymar’s departure, Messi and Suárez's abilities were enough to lead the team to a domestic double with relative ease. Furthermore, new 100 million dollar plus signings Phillipe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé failed to impress the Barça crowd considering their enormous price tags.
The biggest disappointment — however, was the shocking Champions League quarter-final exit to Roma after a 3-0 second-leg collapse. This defeat left a bitter taste in the mouth of
many Barça fans, but the team's domestic dominance cannot be overlooked.
Trophy Overview:
Copa Del Ray winners (5-0 vs. Sevilla)
La Liga winners (4-2 vs. Deportivo La Coruna to secure the title)
2015/16 - MSN Dominance
After the legendary treble-winning campaign of 2014/15, Barça entered the 2015/16 season with high expectations under manager Luis Enrique. The famed MSN trio — Messi, Suárez, and Neymar — continued to terrorize defenses, combining for an astonishing 131 goals across all competitions throughout the 2015/16 season.
Barcelona started the season by adding silverware to their trophy cabinet in their opening game, winning the UEFA Super Cup in a 5-4 victory over Sevilla. Later that year, they traveled to Japan and captured the FIFA Club World Cup title with ease.
In La Liga, Barça were relentless. They built an impressive lead in the table but endured a sudden dip in form in April, suffering three consecutive defeats. However, they managed to win against Granada 3-0 on the final matchday, edging out Real Madrid to the league title y a single point.
Barcelona’s Copa del Rey campaign was equally impressive as they defeated Sevilla 2-0 in extra time in the final, with goals from Jordi Alba and Neymar sealing a domestic double.
Despite this success, their dream of back-to-back trebles was shattered after a quarter-final exit in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid.
Overall, this season was a great one for Barça as they added four pieces of silverware to the trophy cabinet largely through the contributions of the MSN trio in attack.
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