Barcelona President Reveals Camp Nou Return Date

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Sports Illustrated FC

·18 June 2025

Barcelona President Reveals Camp Nou Return Date

Barcelona's long-awaited return to the Spotify Camp Nou is within sight, according to club president Joan Laporta.

Laporta took the podium and addressed 1,000 Barcelona shareholders in an ordinary end-of-season meeting with the club senate on Wednesday. Among the many subjects that Laporta touched upon was Barça's imminent return home to the Camp Nou, which has been undergoing a massive renovation project since the end of the 2022–23 season.

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“We will return in September,” Barcelona's president said. “We've already spoken to La Liga so that our first home games of the season are in September. We want to return as soon as possible, the decision to do it is so that we don't lose any purchasing power, it's key so that we can have more income.”

Barcelona higher-ups believe that returning to the Camp Nou, even with a limited capacity, will signify a massive increase in economic income. Originally, the plan was for Barça to return to their home stadium during the final months of 2024, but delays with the construction forced the team to play out the entirety of the 2024–25 season at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

Now, the club's plan is to play the first three league games of their La Liga title defense away from home, before making an official return to the Camp Nou early in September, giving them a little over two months to ensure the stadium is ready to host official matches.

Before the official return, the club is planning to host a match to test out their renovated home. Barring any last minute changes, Barcelona will host Serie A's Como 1907 for their final preseason game at the Camp Nou.

“The test will be on Aug. 10 with the Trophy Joan Gamper [Barcelona's traditional final preseason match],” Laporta said. “The stadium capacity is still unknown, we're checking that with technicians.”

Barcelona expect to play at the Camp Nou the entirety of the 2025–26 season with a reduced capacity. The hope is that the stadium can be finished in the summer of next year. Once fully finished, the renovated Camp Nou will hold a maximum capacity of over 105,000 fans, making it the biggest in Europe.