- Apr 30, 2026
Staff Reporter | PNN:
After 894 days, Barcelona’s iconic Camp Nou stadium finally came back to life. On Friday, around 23,000 fans gathered to watch the team’s open training session, marking a major step in the club’s long-awaited return to their home ground.
The stadium’s renovation work began in June 2023, with an estimated cost of €1.3 billion. Since then, Barcelona had been playing their home matches temporarily at the Olympic Stadium. Friday’s session served as a test event, preparing for the club’s first official match back at Camp Nou next month.
Club president Joan Laporta announced that Barcelona plan to host their first La Liga match at Camp Nou on November 22 against Athletic Bilbao or, alternatively, on November 29 against Alavés. If neither date is feasible, the fallback plan is December 2 against Atlético Madrid.
Coach Hansi Flick led the team onto the field, taking the first shot himself to kick off the celebration. Young sensation Lamine Yamal and other star players also participated in the session.
Currently, La Liga has approved a seating capacity of 25,991 spectators, though Barcelona intends to gradually expand it to 45,401 as the stadium upgrades progress. The full renovation is expected to be completed by 2027, when Camp Nou’s total capacity will reach 105,000 seats.
Barcelona fans celebrated the open training with joy and emotion, viewing this as the dawn of a new era for the club and its legendary stadium.
