Barcelona Are ‘Leaving’ the Camp Nou Again—And Major Consequences Loom

The reigning Spanish champions are expected to leave the Camp Nou at the conclusion of the 2026–27 season.

The Camp Nou is still under renovation worrk. | Meng Dingbo/Xinhua/Getty Images

If you thought the Camp Nou renovation saga was over for Barcelona, think again.

According to SPORT, Barcelona have filed a petition with La Liga to play the first half of the 2027–28 season at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in Montjuic, the stadium where the Catalans played their home games during 2023–24 and 2024–25, plus an extra five games in 2025–26.

The reason? The installation of the new Camp Nou roof will begin in June 2027, soon after the conclusion of the 2026–27 term. Although the roof installation is viewed as one of the last major hurdles to complete the stadium’s full renovation, it’s expected to take between four to five months.

Reports indicate that La Liga president Javier Tebas is yet to respond to Barça’s formal relocation request, but the expectation is the Catalans will play the opening half of 2026–27 at Montjuic.

This situation doesn’t impact the stadium plans for the fast approaching 2026–27 season. Barcelona will play the entirety of the upcoming term at the Camp Nou—with the third level of stands progressively reopening—before once again leaving their spiritual home this time next year.

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Barcelona Being Overly Cautious With Camp Nou Return

The Camp Nou renovation project began in May 2023. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Delays have become synonymous with the Camp Nou’s renovation work over the last three years, which is why it seems Barcelona are covering their bases and giving themselves some buffer to ensure the installation of the roof can be fully completed by the time the club returns to the stadium for good.

With the installation of the roof expected to take four to five months, the Catalans could theoretically return to the Camp Nou in October or November 2027. However, given the history of construction delays, Barcelona are planning to stay put at Montjuic until early 2028.

The club’s plan is to play the entirety of the first half of the La Liga season at Montjuic, as well as the entirety of the Champions League league phase—pending on their qualification.

UEFA rules state that teams competing in Europe must play the entirety of the league phase at a single home venue. Barcelona was able to circumvent that regulation last season when they played two home games at Montjuic and another two at the Camp Nou. No such thing is expected to happen again, and Barcelona are planning to only return to the Camp Nou once the 2027–28 knockouts begin.

It’s a plan that gives Barcelona some time to maneuver. The original renovation plan stated Barça would return to the Camp Nou in the fall of 2024 and that projection ended up being off by an entire year. It seems the Blaugrana are trying to avoid falling short of their promises again.

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The Negative Impact of Barcelona Leaving Camp Nou—Again

The Camp Nou renovation is the biggest project of Joan Laporta’s presidency. | Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images

Leaving the Camp Nou again represents a major hit to Barcelona’s finances, with income from match tickets, tours and VIP seats disappearing.

Even without the third level of stands open, the Camp Nou’s reduced capacity of a 62,000 still surpasses the 56,000 capacity at Montjuic—and the Camp Nou’s attendance is expected to increase once the third deck reopens periodically throughout 2026–27.

The financial losses Barcelona are expected to endure this time next year could significantly jeopardize the club’s ability to meet La Liga’s financial regulations. As a result, the Catalans could once again operate with major handcuffs in the transfer market.

The club is acutely aware of this, which is why this summer’s transfer window has been circled as a crucial time to try and reinforce the squad not only for 2026–27, but for the next two seasons.

The Catalans have been active during the infancy of the transfer window, and the expectation is that they keep making moves and exploring other alternatives once the World Cup concludes.

If Barcelona don’t secure the reinforcements they want in the next month, then they could be forced to wait until the summer of 2028 to significantly upgrade the squad.

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