Barcelona ‘Settle’ on Surprise Venue for First La Liga Home Game

There’s still doubts surrounding Barcelona’s potential return to the Camp Nou following the September international break, so the club are already accelerating an alternative plan.

The Estadi Johan Cruyff at the club’s Ciutat Esportiva, where Barcelona hosted the Joan Gamper Trophy vs. Como on Aug. 10, is where Barça are hoping to play their first home game of the season vs. Valencia, according to MARCA.

Delays in renovation work at Camp Nou threaten to see Barça’s home ground fail inspection tests that are necessary to green-light the venue to host games. Barcelona’s plan was to play the game vs. Valencia at their legendary home with a reduced capacity, but the fear is the stadium will not pass the city council’s safety checks.

As of right now, it’s looking more and more likely that the match vs. Valencia on Sept. 13 or 14 will be played at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. So much so that according to Mundo Deportivo, La Liga representatives already visited the stadium to ensure it meets the basic requirements to host a match.

Barcelona would be forced to install all the necessary systems for VAR to be available. The club are confident that if La Liga green-light the stadium in advance, they could install the needed cameras for VAR to function properly.

The Estadi Johan Cruyff has a capacity of 6,000 fans, less than the 15,000 required in La Liga’s rules for a top-flight venue. However, Barcelona will argue that this is an emergency measure and that they’d only host one match at the stadium

If Barcelona can’t return to the Camp Nou for their next home match vs. Getafe, that game would be played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys—their home the past two seasons. The game vs. Valencia can’t be played at Montjuïc because the venue is booked for a Post Malone concert.

A meeting is scheduled between Barcelona and the city council to learn the fate of Camp Nou’s availability for the match vs. Valencia. It’s unquestionably a messy situation, but right now there’s a growing belief that Barça will make their 2025–26 home debut at the Estadi Johan Cruyff.