After more than two years playing away from home, FC Barcelona now has a concrete date circled on the calendar for its long-awaited return to Camp Nou. According to Joan Sentelles, the executive overseeing the renovation project, the team aims to play its first official match back at the iconic stadium on Saturday, November 22, against Athletic Bilbao.
“The objective is to have it ready for the Athletic Bilbao match,” Sentelles told Esport3 during an open house event at the stadium site. “As soon as we receive the 1B license, we’ll be able to open the Lateral stand. That will give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium, and from that point, it will make sense to return and play all our games here.”
Barcelona president Joan Laporta struck a more cautious tone when asked about Sentelles’ comments, noting that while the club is eager to come home, it depends on final approvals. “If we get the 1B license next week, and if there are no unforeseen issues, we will return as soon as possible,” Laporta said.
A symbolic comeback for the fans
Earlier this week, more than 20,000 supporters filled the partially renovated stands of Camp Nou for a historic open training session, the first time fans had been inside since May 2023. Construction cranes still dotted the skyline, and parts of the upper tiers remained unfinished, but the atmosphere was electric.
“I am very happy because the process has taken almost 15 years, since 2010 when I finished my first presidential term,” he said. “We needed to get the plans off the drawing board and into reality to make this dream come true,” Laporta said.
Step by step toward full capacity
While the November return would mark a major milestone, construction will continue well into next year. Sentelles confirmed that the goal is to reach a 62,000-seat capacity before the end of 2025, even as work on the third tier continues. For the club, the reopening represents far more than just a move back home. Laporta has repeatedly described the Espai Barça project as vital for the institution’s sporting, economic, and financial future.
