Barcelona delay Nou Camp return again, to play second LaLiga home match at 6,000-seat Johan Cruyff Stadium
Club says it is still awaiting final administrative permits and a 'final works certificate' from Barcelona city council, forcing first-team matches to remain at the Estadi Johan Cruyff
Barcelona's planned return to the renovated Spotify Camp Nou has been postponed once more, with the club confirming its next LaLiga home match will be held at the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff as it awaits administrative approval from Barcelona city council.
The club played its first home league fixture of the season at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, a 6-0 victory over Valencia, and announced this weekend's LaLiga meeting with Getafe will also take place there. In a statement the club said: "The club continues to work intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of Spotify Camp Nou in the near future." The delay stems from the club not having obtained a final works certificate and the 'First Occupancy Licence' required to admit spectators.
The redevelopment of the Nou Camp, a project valued at £1.25 billion, began in 2023 and has been repeatedly delayed. Barcelona had initially planned a reduced-capacity reopening at around 27,000 spectators for the start of the season, but work and administrative hold-ups prevented that from materialising. Club officials notified LaLiga that the necessary licences have not been granted because the final works certificate remains outstanding.
Sources inside the club, speaking to The Athletic, say there is internal hope the first team might be able to return to the stadium on Sept. 28 to host Real Sociedad, though officials acknowledged that meeting that date would be "tight." The club also faces a separate timing consideration for UEFA matches: Barcelona's first Champions League home fixture this season against Paris Saint-Germain is scheduled for Oct. 1, and the renovated stadium will need to meet UEFA criteria if it is to host that match.
The overhaul of the Camp Nou aims to increase capacity to about 105,000 and add new corporate facilities and a roof. Until the full reconstruction is complete, currently scheduled for 2026, the club has said the stadium would operate at a reduced capacity of roughly 50,000 to 60,000. For now, those figures remain theoretical as administrative clearance has yet to be granted.
Barcelona have been forced to use alternative venues since the start of the reconstruction. Last season they staged home matches at the 55,000-capacity Estadi Lluis Companys but were displaced from that ground earlier this month when a concert by Post Malone took place there. The Estadi Johan Cruyff, located at the club's training complex and normally used for women's team and academy fixtures, has become the temporary home for first-team LaLiga matches while the club completes work and finalises paperwork.
The £1.25 billion project has suffered a series of setbacks since construction began, with previous target reopening dates slipping from last November to February and May of this year. Plans to stage the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Camp Nou in August were also abandoned because required permissions were not in place.
LaLiga and club officials continue to monitor the situation. Until Barcelona submits the outstanding documentation and the city council issues the final works certificate and occupancy licence, spectators will not be able to attend matches at the revamped Spotify Camp Nou. The club said it is working "intensively" with the relevant authorities to secure the permits and reopen the stadium to supporters as soon as possible.