Sofia Quijada
Barcelona Returns to Nou Camp After Two-Year Hiatus
Barcelona will make a long-awaited return to their iconic Nou Camp home this weekend, facing Athletic Club in La Liga on Saturday, 22 November (15:15 GMT). The stadium reopens after extensive renovations, albeit with a reduced capacity of 45,401.
The last official match at the Nou Camp was on 28 May, 2023, against Real Mallorca. Since then, the venue has undergone a £1.1bn renovation project aimed at modernizing the stadium and expanding its capacity to 105,000, making it one of the largest grounds in the world.
The initial plan was to reopen the stadium in November 2024, coinciding with Barcelona‘s 125th anniversary. However, the club faced several delays, forcing them to play most of their matches at the 55,000-seater Olympic Stadium on Montjuic hill.
This season, Barcelona also played two matches at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium, home to their women’s team, after failing to secure a permit for the Nou Camp due to safety reasons.
Barcelona celebrates being able to compete again at its stadium and continue advancing in the comprehensive transformation project of the new Camp Nou.
The club is also in discussions with Uefa to host next week’s Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt at the revamped venue, though official confirmation is still pending.
The Nou Camp, which opened in 1957, has been Barcelona‘s home ground with a previous capacity of 99,000. Its reopening marks a significant milestone in the club’s history.