Barcelona to request three straight away games ahead of Camp Nou return

FC Barcelona is to ask La Liga for the first three matches of the 2025–26 season to be given as away games. The strategic maneuver will buy some time to complete the ongoing renovation of the iconic Camp Nou stadium, which is expected to partially reopen by mid-September 2025. The total renovation cost on Camp Nou — to make it into Europe’s largest stadium, with 105,000 seats — has been estimated at €1.5 billion, and construction has been marred with multiple delays. Based on plans, then, for the November 2024 full reopening to the public, passage to the summer of 2026, both announced dates had become mere pipe dreams. To fit construction into their stadium, Barcelona have been playing home games at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys since May 2023.Barcelona has asked to play its first three league games away to enable the partially built Camp Nou to be ready to welcome fans safely and smoothly. The strategy is similar to that used by other clubs during stadium upgrades to avoid or reduce the impact on revenue from a lack of matches being staged.When reopened in September 2025, the Camp Nou will have a capacity of around 60,000, while some facilities, including fixed seating, full catering services, and permanent access routes, are yet to be fully built. The club will be using a digital season ticket system, which means fans will have to give advance confirmation of attendance in a bid to manage the limited capacity effectively. It follows the temporary withdrawal of the Seient Lliure system, which permits season ticket holders to release their seat for resale until the Camp Nou is 100% operational.Also Read: Here’s how much Barcelona can make by winning La Liga this seasonThe last stage of construction, finishing with the roof of the stadium being installed, as well as refurbishments to VIP areas, will be complete by mid-2026, officials said. Once fully operational, Camp Nou will have better facilities to generate more revenues on matchdays and to offer fans a completely new match day experience.Barcelona's willingness to work with La Liga to rearrange their opening fixtures is a strong signal of the club’s desire to guarantee the best possible return to their iconic former home while offering their committed fans the safety and satisfaction they deserve.