Inside FC Barcelona’s Olivia Rodrigo Takeover for El Clásico: ‘She Brought Us Luck’

By Tomás Mier

Olivia Rodrigo might’ve been the stroke of luck FC Barcelona needed to secure its La Liga championship this weekend against Real Madrid. On Sunday night, Barça’s men’s team lifted the trophy after a 2-0 win, while sporting a limited-edition version of Rodrigo’s logo celebrating the club’s latest collaboration with Spotify.

“Maybe she brought us a bit of luck today,” Pedri González told press after the game. “It’s always nice to see people like that supporting the club. [Olivia] has a very special energy that could make me drop dead.”

The Rodrigo-Barça collaboration is the latest in Spotify’s rotating artist partnerships for El Clásico, the club’s rivalry match against Madrid. Spotify has previously collaborated with artists including the Rolling Stones, Travis Scott, Karol G, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran.

The Rodrigo-themed festivities kicked off Wednesday when Claudia Pina, Aitana Bonmatí, and the FC Barcelona Femení squad faced Levante. Sporting jerseys emblazoned with the singer’s logo, Barça secured a 5-0 victory before lifting the trophy that night. Later that weekend, Rodrigo congratulated the players during practice, taking photos with several members of the team.

On Friday, Spotify transformed the historic Teatre Grec into a Rodrigo-themed wonderland, offering limited Barça x Olivia Rodrigo merch using the font and designs of the singer’s upcoming album, You Seem So Sad for a Girl So in Love, which is set to drop on June 12.

Among the collaboration items was a retro collared jersey paying homage to the team’s 2003 kit design  in honor of the singer’s birth year. Fans could also buy Nike hoodies, tees, and tote bags featuring the team’s slogan “Força Barça” in the You Seem So Sad font and team colors, along with a limited-edition Barcelona scarf featuring the singer’s name and the club’s logo. The merch is available to purchase on the FC Barcelona store, though they’re selling out fast and some pieces have already made their way to eBay.

During the performance, Rodrigo accepted a bouquet of flowers from a fan and performed all of her songs with over a billion streams for 1,500 top fans in the Barcelona area. The star played Sour staples including “Deja Vu,” “Traitor,” “Drivers License,” “Happier,” and “Good 4 U,” alongside Guts tracks such as “Vampire,” “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” “Lacy,” “Bad Idea Right?” and “Get Him Back!”

“I haven’t played a show in a long time. This is my first one back, and I can’t think of a better way to have one than with you guys here,” she said onstage, dressed in Doc Martens and a babydoll dress. “I think this is the most beautiful venue I’ve ever seen in my life.”

The star even performed in the crowd during “Jealousy, Jealousy,” serenading fans as she walked up the aisles, and performed her new album’s single “Drop Dead” — which she debuted at Coachella alongside Addison Rae — to a crowd that knew every lyric.

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The El Clásico festivities concluded with Barça’s resounding 2-0 victory over Real Madrid to secure the title, thanks to two early goals from Marcus Rashford in the ninth minute and Ferran Torres shortly after. Rodrigo walked onto the field before the game and snapped photos with several players, including Barça prodigy Lamine Yamal, who missed the match due to injury. 

The singer was also spotted watching the fireworks show following the championship win. “forca barca!!!! thx a million 4 having me,” the singer wrote on Instagram.

The Barcelona collaboration comes several weeks after she announced the release of her upcoming album and performed on Saturday Night Live. She’s set to go on a global the Unraveled Tour this fall.