Editing Catalonia (section)

=== Sport ===
{{Main|Sport in Catalonia}}
Sport has had a distinct importance in Catalan life and culture since the beginning of the 20th century; consequently, the region has a well-developed sports infrastructure. The main sports are [[association football|football]], [[basketball]], [[handball]], [[rink hockey]], [[tennis]] and [[motorsport]].

While the most popular sports are represented at international level by the Spanish national teams, Catalonia plays as itself in some minor ones, such as [[korfball]], [[futsal]] or [[rugby league]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.seleccions.cat/index.php/seleccions-reconegudes/esports-reconeguts|title=Esports reconeguts|website=www.seleccions.cat|access-date=13 September 2016|archive-date=4 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104200454/http://seleccions.cat/index.php/seleccions-reconegudes/esports-reconeguts|url-status=live}}</ref> Various Catalan Sports Federations have a long tradition and some of them participated in the foundation of international sports federations, as the [[Catalonia national rugby union team|Catalan Federation of Rugby]], that was one of the founder members of the [[FIRA – Association of European Rugby|Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur]] (FIRA) in 1934.<ref name="fira-aer-rugby.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/article_detail.php?article=33|title=FIRA-AER website – History|access-date=19 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216142416/http://www.fira-aer-rugby.com/article_detail.php?article=33|archive-date=16 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> The majority of Catalan sport federations are part of the [[Sports Federation Union of Catalonia]] (Catalan: {{lang|ca|Unió de Federacions Esportives de Catalunya}}), founded in 1933. The presence of separate Catalan teams has caused disputes with Spanish sports institutions, as happened to [[Catalonia men's national roller hockey team|roller hockey]] in the controversial [[Fresno Case]] (2004).<ref>{{cite web |last1=(TAS) |first1=Tribunal Arbitrale du Sport |title=SENTENCE ARBITRALE rendue par le TRIBUNAL ARBITRAL DU SPORT |url=http://www.tas-cas.org/fr/pdf/catalans.PDF |website=www.tas-cas.org |access-date=10 September 2024 |archive-date=19 October 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051019233616/http://www.tas-cas.org/fr/pdf/catalans.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Catalan Football Federation]] also periodically fields a [[Catalonia national football team|national team]] against international opposition, organizing friendly matches. In the recent years they have played with Bulgaria, Argentina, Brazil, Basque Country, Colombia, Nigeria, Cape Verde and Tunisia. The biggest football clubs are [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] (also known as ''Barça''), who have won five European Cups ([[UEFA Champions League]]), and [[RCD Espanyol|Espanyol]], who have twice been runner-up of the [[UEFA Cup]] (now UEFA Europa League). As of December 2024, Barça, Espanyol and [[Girona FC]] play in the top Spanish League ([[La Liga]]).

The Catalan [[waterpolo]] is one of the main powers of the Iberian Peninsula. The Catalans won triumphs in waterpolo competitions at European and world level by club (the Barcelona was champion of Europe in 1981/82 and the Catalonia in 1994/95) and national team (one gold and one silver in Olympic Games and World Championships). It also has many international [[synchronized swimming]] champions.

Motorsport has a long tradition in Catalonia, which involving many people, with some world champions and several competitions organized since the beginning of the 20th century. The [[Circuit de Catalunya]], built in 1991, is one of the main motorsport venues, holding the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, the Spanish F1 Grand Prix, a DTM race, and several other races.

Catalonia hosted many relevant international sport events, such as the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] in Barcelona, as well as the [[1955 Mediterranean Games]], the [[2013 World Aquatics Championships]] or the [[2018 Mediterranean Games]]. It held annually the fourth-oldest still-existing [[cycling stage race]] in the world, the [[Volta a Catalunya]] (Tour of Catalonia).<ref>{{cite web|title=100 Anys d'Historia|url=http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ca/història/|website=voltacatalunya.cat|access-date=10 December 2015|language=ca|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525185019/http://www.voltacatalunya.cat/ca/hist%C3%B2ria/|archive-date=25 May 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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BCN-EstadiOlimpic-4860.jpg|[[Anella Olímpica|Olympic Park]] of [[Montjuïc]], Barcelona. At the centre, the [[Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys|Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys]]
Camp Nou - Interior (2005).jpg|[[Camp Nou]], home of [[FC Barcelona]]
F1 Circuit de Catalunya - Tribuna.jpg|[[Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya]]
Pep Guardiola 2.1.jpg|[[Pep Guardiola]], one of the most successful football managers of all time, pictured while managing [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]]
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