Barcelona's long-awaited return to Spotify Camp Nou pushed back as delays force iconic stadium's reopening to be moved further into next season

Barcelona’s long-awaited return to the iconic Camp Nou has been pushed back once again, with the club now eyeing a September 2025 reopening, according to Cadena SER. Initially hoped to be ready earlier in the season, but ongoing construction delays have forced a revised timeline, meaning fans will have to wait a bit longer to see their team back on home turf.

At the end of the 2022-23 season, Barcelona announced that Camp Nou would undergo a massive renovation, which would see their capacity increase from 99,354 to 105,000. According to Daily Mail, the club have invested around €1.45 billion (£1.25bn/$1.6bn) for the stadium's overhaul. It was expected that Barca would begin the 2024-25 season at the Camp Nou after spending a season at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, but it was later revealed that they wouldn't return until February.

Images showing the progress made at the stadium have since surfaced on social media, with the club posting updates from time to time. New seats have been installed, and the grass on the pitch has also been laid. Despite the substantial progress made, fans will only be able to return to the Camp Nou in September later this year, with Barca planning to reopen the stadium for their home games, albeit with a reduced capacity. Work on the roof of the stadium is yet to begin, and a rough early 2026 timeline has been established for the full completion of the project.

Talking about on-field matters, the Blaugrana have an opportunity to seal the LaLiga title on Thursday when they visit local rivals Espanyol. A win will ensure they don't have to wait until the next matchday to wrap up the league.