Barcelona have postponed their long-awaited return to the Spotify Camp Nou, abandoning plans to reopen the stadium with a friendly match on August 10 due to licensing delays.
The club cited difficulties in securing a first occupancy license for the partially completed stadium as the reason behind the decision.
“Because of the magnitude of the work done, it was impossible to meet all the requirements demanded by the regulations,” the club said in a statement on Friday.
The friendly—reportedly set to be against Italian side Como—will now take place at the Johan Cruyff Stadium near the club’s training base.
Barcelona now hope their first match back at the Camp Nou will be the La Liga clash against Valencia on September 13 or 14. The team will play its opening three league games away from home, but the club has not guaranteed that the stadium will be ready even by mid-September.
Barça had originally aimed to return to the Camp Nou in November 2024 to coincide with the club’s 125th anniversary, but construction delays have continued to push back the timeline.
For now, the stadium will operate at a reduced capacity of around 60,000, with full expansion to 105,000 seats expected to be completed by next summer. The renovation project carries a price tag of approximately €1.5 billion ($1.75 billion).
