Barcelona held an open training session at Spotify Camp Nou on Friday, attracting 23,000 fans as the club moves closer to returning to their legendary stadium.
Since 2023, Barça has not hosted any matches at Camp Nou, having temporarily moved to the Olympic Stadium due to an extensive €1.5 billion renovation project.
Friday’s event acted as a test in preparation for the anticipated official games set to return later this month.
Club President Joan Laporta indicated that they aim to return for either the LaLiga match against Athletic Club on November 22, or the fixture against Alavés the following week on November 29, which coincides with the club’s 126th anniversary.
If that doesn’t happen, Barça is set to face Atlético Madrid in league action on December 2.
The precise date for their return will hinge on the council’s approval of a permit that allows matches with an audience size capped at 45,401.
Currently, Barça holds a license permitting only 25,991 fans, which was granted in October, but the club is eager to expand capacity before officially resuming games.
Construction is still underway, with the first two tiers of the stadium nearing completion, while the third tier and roof remain to be finished.
The anticipated final completion date is set for 2027, with an eventual increase in capacity to 105,000.
After the training session, Laporta expressed enthusiasm about welcoming former Barça superstar Lionel Messi back for the stadium’s full reopening.
“It would be an amazing way to inaugurate the stadium with 105,000 fans packed in and honoring Leo,” Laporta told the press.
“Of course, it all depends on what Messi’s representatives decide. There will also be presidential elections before then, but if I remain president, I would love to see that happen.”
Messi departed Barcelona in summer 2021 without a proper farewell, mainly due to the hurried nature of his exit and COVID restrictions at the time.
The Argentina international has never publicly addressed the possibility of returning to participate in a tribute match.
The anticipation of returning to Camp Nou has taken longer than expected, with Barça originally aiming for a return by the end of 2024.
Plans for an earlier return were discussed, but delays led to a restart being pushed to the current season in September.
Due to the protracted wait for required permits, they were forced to play their initial two games of the season at the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff after the Olympic Stadium was unavailable.
Following this, they returned to the Olympic Stadium, where they have played their last five home matches, hoping their latest game—a 3-1 victory over Elche—will be the last there.