Barcelona delays return to Camp Nou: Licensing issues delay reopening

Barcelona delays its return to Camp Nou

The expected return of Barcelona to Spotify Camp Nou, scheduled for next month, has been postponed again. The Joan Gamper Trophy, which was to be held on August 10, will finally be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, as announced by the club. The postponement is due to licensing issues related to the stadium’s reopening. The club explained that “the necessary works to comply with the requirements of the Municipal Intervention Procedures in Construction Works Ordinance have made it impossible to complete the necessary procedures for the granting of the initial license.” Initially, Barcelona had announced the Gamper Trophy against Como for August 10, which would be the first phase of the reopening of Camp Nou after two years of renovations. Although some of the necessary licenses have already been granted, there are still problems related to security in accessing the stadium.

Due to the scope of the works carried out, it has not been possible to comply with all the conditions established by the regulations governing this license, despite the club’s intention to reopen the remodeled stadium sector by sector.

Official statement from FC Barcelona

The Johan Cruyff Stadium, where the women’s team plays, has a capacity of only 6,000 spectators. Barcelona has played the last two seasons at the Olympic Stadium in the city while Camp Nou was being renovated.

• The meteoric rise of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal
• The most important matches and Clásico dates of LaLiga 2025-26
• Camp Nou risks further delays

The original plan was to return in November 2024, but that date has been constantly postponed. Barcelona had announced at the beginning of this month that they would play the Joan Gamper Trophy at the Camp Nou. The Catalan club intended to use the match as a general test for the stadium before the LaLiga season began. The capacity, in case the match was played at the Camp Nou, would probably have been limited to between 20,000 and 30,000 spectators. The Barça would then have had a month before their first home league match against Valencia in early September, after LaLiga granted them permission to play their first three away matches. The works in the stadium will continue during this season and are not expected to be completed until, at the earliest, the start of the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, the plan is for Barça’s home matches in the next season to be played with a reduced attendance of between 50,000 and 60,000 spectators.