Camp Nou

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Lore & Background

The construction of the Camp Nou started on 28 March 1954 as Barcelona's previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts, had no room for expansion. Although originally planned to be called the Estadi del Barcelona, the more popular name Camp Nou ('new field') was used. The June 1950 signing of László Kubala provided further impetus to the construction of a larger stadium. On 14 November 1950, the president Agustí Montal i Galobart obtained the favourable agreement of an assembly of members to acquire land for the construction of a new stadium, located in Hospitalet de Llobregat, which was later exchanged with the Barcelona City Council for other land in the neighbourhood of Les Corts. The appointment of Francesc Miró-Sans as president of Barcelona on 14 November 1953 relaunched the project. The first stone was laid on 28 March 1954. The architects were Francesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras, with the collaboration of Lorenzo García-Barbón. Finally, on 24 September 1957, the Camp Nou was inaugurated. The stadium's capacity has varied greatly over the years, opening at 106,146, and growing to 121,401 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The stadium underwent an expansion in 1982, in anticipation of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which added boxes, VIP lounges, a new press area, new markers and the construction of the third tier. The expansion added 22,150 new seats, taking the total seating capacity to 121,401. Barcelona's record attendance was set on 5 March 1986 in the European Cup quarter-final against Juventus in front of 120,000 spectators. The Camp Nou was one of several stadiums used throughout the 1982 World Cup, hosting the inauguration ceremony on 13 June and more matches than any other stadium used. It also hosted the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. As well as hosting Barcelona, the Camp Nou is home to the Catalan team. The stadium is frequently used for other football events. The European Cup final between Milan and Steaua București was held on 24 May 1989. The Camp Nou hosted part of the football competition, including the final, in the 1992 Summer Olympics. The stadium was renovated in 1993–94, in which the pitch was lowered by 2.5 metres, the security gap was removed, and standing room was eliminated in favour of individual s

In Their Own Story

On 15 January 2023, Barcelona clinched their first trophy since 2021 by defeating Real Madrid 3–1 in the Supercopa de España final, though that match was played at a neutral venue. On 14 May 2023, Barcelona mathematically clinched their 27th La Liga title with four games to spare, the first since the 2018–19 season. The season also marked the last for defender Gerard Piqué, who retired before the winter World Cup after fifteen seasons with Barcelona and thirty official trophies. Captain Sergio Busquets announced he would leave at the end of the season after eighteen years and 32 trophies, while Jordi Alba also departed after eleven years and nineteen trophies.

Reader's Guide

Camp Nou has hosted two European Cup/Champions League finals in 1989 and 1999, two European Cup Winners' Cup finals, four Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final games, five UEFA Super Cup games, four Copa del Rey finals, two Copa de la Liga finals, and twenty-one Supercopa de España finals. It also hosted five matches in the 1982 FIFA World Cup (including the opening game), half of the four matches at the 1964 European Nations' Cup, and the football tournament's final at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Renovation of the stadium commenced after the end of the 2022–2023 season. Final completion of all renovations is scheduled for June 2026, although the stadium reopened in November 2025 at a reduced capacity. During the renovation, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys served as Barcelona's home ground for both the 2023–24 season and 2024–25 season; the club played its first two league home matches in the 2025–26 season at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.

Did You Know?

• The stadium's official name was originally Estadi del Barcelona, but it was not until the 2000–01 season that club members voted to officially rename it to Camp Nou.
• The Camp Nou was inspired by De Kuip, home
• The Barcelona Museum at Camp Nou receives around 1.5 million visitors per year.