In early March 1972, de la Cruz signed with fellow league club FC Barcelona for six million pesetas, pending a medical that almost went wrong and with the deal being made effective in July. He went on to feature in more than 230 official matches during his tenure at the Camp Nou, scoring his first goal on 7 January 1973 in a 2–0 win at Real Zaragoza; on 16 May 1979, the 32-year-old came on as a second-half substitute in the final of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in Basel, the 4–3 extra time defeat of Fortuna Düsseldorf.