Aug 3, 2024; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Barcelona midfielder Pau Victor (8) celebrates his goal with teammates during the second half of an international friendly against Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

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Barcelona’s Long-Awaited Camp Nou Return Delayed Again

Barcelona had initially hoped to use the Joan Gamper Trophy as a soft launch ahead of their first La Liga home match of the new season.

Barcelona have been forced to postpone their long-awaited return to the revamped Spotify Camp Nou. The La Liga champions confirm on Friday that the 2025 Joan Gamper Trophy match against Como will no longer take place at the iconic stadium on August 10. The fixture had been scheduled to mark the re-opening of Camp Nou after two years of extensive renovation work as part of the Espai Barça project.

However, the club revealed that delays in obtaining the necessary occupancy licenses from the Barcelona City Council had made it “impossible to complete the required procedures” in time. Barcelona cited ongoing compliance challenges tied to the regulations governing large-scale construction projects as the reason for the delay. The club admitted that despite progress on the site, not all safety and access requirements have been met. As a result, the stadium’s phased reopening has now been pushed back once again.

𝐅𝐂 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 18, 2025

Joan Gamper Trophy To Be Held at Johan Cruyff Stadium

As a result of the delay, the Joan Gamper Trophy match will instead be held at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, which is the home of Barcelona women’s team. Notably, Johan Cruyff Stadium has a capacity of just 6,000. Further details surrounding the relocated fixture are expected to be confirmed shortly.

Barcelona had initially hoped to use the Joan Gamper Trophy as a soft launch ahead of their first La Liga home match of the new season against Valencia in September. They had received permission to play their opening three league games on the road. The plan was to gradually allow crowds of up to 20,000–30,000 into the partially completed Camp Nou before fully opening later in the campaign. However, the latest setback means that timeline has been thrown into serious doubt.

Barcelona were set to return to the new stadium on August 10 for the Joan Gamper Trophy but have said the match will be moved due to 'requirements of the Ordinance Regulating Municipal Intervention Procedures'. pic.twitter.com/44dqW2ZPjV
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 18, 2025

The Catalan giants said that the delay will not impact the financing schedule for Espai Barça. The project still on course to transform the stadium into one of Europe’s premier sporting venues by 2026-27. In the meantime, construction work will continue throughout the upcoming season, during which Barça’s home fixtures will be played at a reduced capacity, once the stadium is cleared for partial use.

Barcelona

Camp Nou

La Liga 2025-26

Abhinav Goel

soccer

I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.