Spotify and Barça press ‘Play’ with Ed Sheeran for the upcoming Clásico

The seventh Spotify logo change on the Barça shirt will have the honour of welcoming Ed Sheeran. The British artist becomes the first male solo pop musician to feature on an FC Barcelona jersey, with the logo of his latest studio album, Play, taking pride of place.

The emblem will first appear on 19 October for the women’s match against Granada CF, and will then return on 26 October for the men’s Clásico against Real Madrid.

Ed Sheeran has over 92 million monthly listeners on Spotify and has placed 14 songs in the Billions Club — the collection of tracks that have surpassed that number of streams on the platform. Play is his eighth album, a project born from the joy of living and inspired by the sounds and stories Sheeran has gathered around the world. This spirit of exploring different cultures and connecting fan communities naturally aligns with FC Barcelona’s global identity and international reach over the years.

Displaying Play on the front of the shirt highlights the power of music to cross borders and bring people together. Barça is famed for its youthful spirit and expressive playing style, shaped by the talents nurtured at La Masia. Ed Sheeran’s love of both football and the city of Barcelona makes this collaboration even more genuine, built on the belief that creativity, music and football can move people, both on and off the pitch.

The British singer follows in the footsteps of Travis Scott, Coldplay, Karol G, The Rolling Stones, Rosalía and Drake, artists who have previously appeared on the front of the FC Barcelona shirt.

Limited-edition shirts and lifestyle apparel

As with previous logo changes, exclusive editions of the match shirt will go on sale from Wednesday 15 October at Barça Stores, via the club’s online shop, and in the Nike Store on Passeig de Gràcia in Barcelona. A special pre-sale window will open from Tuesday 14 October (10pm CEST) until Wednesday 15 October (10am CEST).

One limited-edition version of the match shirt comprises 1,899 Match quality units. Another even more exclusive collection consists of just 22 units, also Match quality, signed by the starting players from both the men’s and women’s matches (the Clásico and the Liga F game). For the first time, there will also be 11 shirts signed by Ed Sheeran himself. Meanwhile, the lifestyle collection, inspired by the Play album’s visual universe, includes two T-shirts, a sweatshirt and a scarf.

FC Barcelona will also release a special edition of the popular Barça Matchday playlist on Spotify, curated by Ed Sheeran, featuring songs chosen to motivate players and fans ahead of the match.

What's more, from 23 October, and for the first time, the Clásico kit will be appearing in the gaming world. The Barça shirt with the Play logo will be available in KONAMI’s eFootball™ game, where players will be able to select it for their matches.

Statement by Ed Sheeran:

“Seeing my new album, Play, on the Barça shirt is one of those moments I can hardly believe. I’ve loved football my whole life, so bringing my music to such an iconic stage and sharing it with fans everywhere means a lot to me.”

Statement by Robert Lewandowski:

“Ed’s songs have been part of our dressing-room playlist for a long time, so seeing his new album on our shirt for El Clásico is really special. Music and football unite fans in powerful ways, and I’m proud to represent that connection on the pitch.”

Statement by Manel del Río, general manager of FC Barcelona:

“We are very proud to have an artist like Ed Sheeran featured on our shirt. The logo change has become one of the most iconic moments of every season and exemplifies how the collaboration between FC Barcelona and Spotify continues to successfully explore how far we can go with this union between sport and music.”

Statement by Marc Hazan, Spotify’s vice-president of Partnerships and Marketing:

“We’re thrilled to bring a true football fan to such a major moment as El Clásico. Ed’s genuine love for football and his status as one of the world’s biggest artists made putting Play on the Barça shirt a natural choice.”

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