FC Barcelona lights up New York skyline

On Wednesday night the most iconic sliver of the New York skyline was awash in blue and red, a monumental marker that FC Barcelona was now in town.

At around 7.30pm ET, just as daylight ceded ground to the artificial sort that has made New York come to be known as The City That Never Sleeps, the Empire State Building, the 102-floor behemoth and everlasting symbol of American capitalism that lies at the heart of Manhattan Island, lit up with the colors of Futbol Club Barcelona.

The one-night show of the royal blue and maroon lighting high up on the exterior of the art deco edifice lasted until around 2.00am ET.

The honor was bestowed upon the Club as a way of recognizing the work of the FC Barcelona Foundation and the 10th anniversary of its alliance with UNICEF, which coincided perfectly with Barça’s arrival in the Big Apple.

Despite the media frenzy surrounding the opening of Barça’s new office, not everyone in New York was aware of the significance. Cue the Empire State Building, the 443-metre skyscraper renowned for projecting different colors 365 nights a year as a nod to a panoply of milestones and organizations whose causes and achievements are deemed worthy of such lofty recognition.

FC Barcelona can now be counted among them.