But it had to open, because the accumulated delay was significant, and because each match played at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic cost half a million euros in rent alone, plus all the associated losses. Barça was due to return to their homeland in November 2024 for their 125th anniversary. Then, for Gabber in August, with full announcement and fanfare. The city council refused permission on security grounds. Earlier this month, it arrived: a 20,000-strong open-air training session on November 7 for the return leg, with president Joan Laporta, an excited and euphoric host, already at the stadium two hours before kick-off.

Fireworks are set off at the end of the Spanish league soccer match between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on November 22, 2025. After two and a half years, Barcelona returned to the Camp Nou on November 22, 2025, its legendary stadium still under construction and whose renovation should embody the Catalan giants’ renewed ambitions.

ONE AND A HALF A BILLION

The first and second stands are open for three-quarters of the stadium's perimeter. The Curva Sud, already completed, and, most importantly, the third stand, are still missing. And the roof. These days, if it rains, it rains. Barcelona hopes to have 62,000 spectators by January 2026 and have everything completed by the start of the 2027-28 season. The area known as Espai Barça, the stadium and everything that will be built around it, will cost 1.45 billion euros, barring unforeseen circumstances, with the huge loan taken out when the club already had debts of 1.35 billion euros. That's why it had to open as soon as possible to start generating revenue, and tickets for today's match cost between 200 and 500 euros: collector's items.

THE SKELETON

The feeling up close: it's the same exciting, imposing, historic Camp Nou. It's hard to say what the final product will be like because so much is missing. Among the cranes, the work-in-progress signs, the safety nets and the workers dressed in neon yellow protecting the many restricted areas is the skeleton of this Blaugrana giant, which has now come back to life after almost 30 months of renovation. Two and a half years, 73.5 million cubic meters of waste, 5,700 work contracts signed to complete the work.

COLD ATMOSPHERE

The kick-off was given to Member Number 6, who had a ticket for the stadium's inaugural match in 1957. And when the match began, there was no atmosphere at all. The silence was only broken by boos for Nico Williams, who had refused to sign for Barça. A few scattered, indifferent chants and an almost surreal feeling of cold.

5 MADE DEBUTS

The Blaugrana starting XI included 5 FOOTBALLERS who made their debuts at the Camp Nou: Joan García, Cubarci, Gerard Martin, Fermín and Dani Olmo. Lamine Yamal? His big break came so early that, at 15, he managed to play 7 minutes against Betis in April 2023.

German coach Hansi Flick also made his debut on the bench, although he had previously played at the Camp Nou with Bayern Munich in 1987 in the Joan Gamper Trophy, the Swiss founder of Barcelona who would have turned 148 today.

Dro , Casado and Bernal also made their debuts in the second half.

Lewandowski opened the scoring in just the 4th minute, the highlight of these 30 months at Montjuic. In the 47th minute, Lamine Yamal, with a beautiful ball, gave Ferran Torres the opportunity to write 2-0. With the start of the second half, another defensive error in the Basque team's development gave the opportunity to 17-year-old Fermin to make it 3-0. A little later, Sanchet brought down Fermin himself, but VAR showed him a yellow card. In the 90th minute, Lamine Yamal provided another wonderful assist to Ferran Torres, who scored 4-0 and the show was over. Athletic have now reached 30 games without a win in Barcelona, ​​with 26 losses: the ideal opponent to join in the celebrations at the Camp Nou…