Barcelona's Nou Camp return delayed again as home match moved to 6,000-seat Johan Cruyff Stadium

Barcelona's planned return to the renovated Spotify Camp Nou has been postponed again after the club moved its next home match to the 6,000‑seat Estadi Johan Cruyff while it continues to seek an occupancy licence from Barcelona city council.

The club said on Tuesday that it had been unable to obtain the "First Occupancy Licence" required to allow fans back into the Camp Nou and that the match originally scheduled to be played at the stadium would instead take place at the smaller Johan Cruyff venue. Barcelona thanked members and supporters for their "understanding and support during such a complex yet exciting process as the return to the new Spotify Camp Nou."

The move affects the fixture against Valencia — often referred to in Spanish media as Los Che — which was intended to mark the first senior-team match in the revamped stadium after the international break. Club officials are continuing intensive work to secure the outstanding administrative permits, but the city council has made clear it cannot grant final permission until a final works certificate is presented, a document the club has not yet produced.

Barcelona face another scheduled home match on September 21 against Getafe, which the club has pencilled in as the next potential return to the Camp Nou. However, reports in Spanish media, including Mundo Deportivo, say there is little confidence that the date will hold and that contingency plans already envisage staging that fixture at the Johan Cruyff as well. The club also indicated that Barca Athletic's scheduled match against Castellon B could be postponed to free the stadium for the senior side if needed.

The delay is the latest setback in the stadium's £1.25 billion redevelopment, a project that began in 2023 and is designed to expand capacity to about 105,000, add corporate facilities and install a roof. Barcelona have repeatedly revised their return timelines: an initial plan to reopen in November slipped to targets in February and May of 2025, and the club abandoned plans to hold the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Camp Nou in August after similar permit issues.

Until construction is fully completed, scheduled for 2026, club officials have said the Camp Nou will operate at a reduced capacity of roughly 50,000 to 60,000. That interim operating level is currently unattainable because of the outstanding paperwork and certificates required by municipal authorities.

LaLiga has been informed of the situation, according to club communications, and Barcelona are working to present the paperwork needed for a final occupancy decision. The delay also complicates the club's preparations for its first home Champions League match of the season: defending European champions Paris Saint‑Germain are due to visit on October 1, a high‑profile fixture the club will seek to stage at the Camp Nou if the licence can be secured in time.

The club's statement reiterated its commitment to completing the reopening process in the coming weeks and to keeping supporters updated as administrative approvals proceed. City council officials have reiterated that local regulations require a completed final works certificate before granting the licence that would allow supporters to return to the stadium. Barcelona must therefore resolve outstanding construction and certification issues to meet that requirement.