The long wait was supposed to end this weekend. Barcelona fans had circled the date when their club would finally make its long-anticipated return home. But as uncertainty lingered, the club had to make a decision — and it wasn’t the one most expected. Instead of reopening their iconic ground, Barcelona will play their first La Liga home match of the season at a very different venue.
The question “Is Camp Nou finally ready?” has been hovering for months. The stadium, closed since 2023 for a massive $1.75 billion renovation project, was originally expected to partially reopen in the fall of 2024. That deadline slipped, and supporters were left clinging to each new announcement.
Barcelona issued a statement this week, finally confirming that their upcoming La Liga clash against Valencia on Sunday, September 14 will not be held at the Spotify Camp Nou.
“Barcelona announces that the match corresponding to Matchday 4 of LaLiga, scheduled for Sunday, September 14 at 9:00 p.m. against Valencia CF, will not yet be able to take place at the Spotify Camp Nou,” the club wrote. “The Club is working intensively to obtain the necessary administrative permits for the opening of the Spotify Camp Nou in the coming weeks. For this reason, the match will instead be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.”
Why Estadi Johan Cruyff?
For the first time in history, Barcelona’s men’s team will play an official La Liga fixture at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, the 6,000-seat stadium usually reserved for the club’s women’s side and Barca Atletic.
The decision came down to logistics. With Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys — Barcelona’s home for the past two seasons — unavailable due to a Post Malone concert, the club had to find an emergency solution. La Liga granted special permission despite Johan Cruyff’s failure to meet the standard minimum capacity.
To comply, the Blaugrana will install temporary VAR cameras, a new fiber optic network, and upgrades to the pitch’s irrigation system. But even with those adjustments, the venue represents a massive downgrade in scale from Camp Nou’s eventual 105,000-seat rebuild or even the temporary 27,000-capacity section that was meant to open first.
Blow for supporters
While the club expressed gratitude to its fans — “Barcelona would like to thank its members and fans for their understanding and support during such a complex yet exciting process as the return to the new Spotify Camp Nou” — many supporters are far from satisfied.
The reduction from tens of thousands of seats to just 6,000 has left countless fans without the chance to watch a marquee fixture against Valencia. To manage the limited availability, the Catalan side announced a ticket lottery for season pass holders from the Montjuic years. Only a handful will make it inside Johan Cruyff on Sunday night.
What happens next?
The Valencia clash may only be the beginning of further headaches. Barcelona’s schedule in the coming weeks includes matches against Getafe on September 21, Real Sociedad on September 28, and Paris Saint-Germain on October 1 in the Champions League.
If the Camp Nou is still not cleared for use by then, the club is expected to return to Montjuic, where a rental agreement with the City Council remains in place until February 2026. However, UEFA rules could complicate matters if Barcelona need to switch stadiums mid-competition during the Champions League.
