Camp Nou

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The construction of Camp Nou started on 28 March 1954 as Barcelona's previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts, had no room for expansion. The June 1950 signing of László Kubala, regarded as one of Barcelona's greatest players, provided further impetus to the construction of a larger stadium. On 14 November 1950, president Agustí Montal i Galobart obtained agreement to acquire land, and 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 feast of La Mercè, Camp Nou was inaugurated. A solemn mass preceded the Hallelujah from Handel's Messiah, and some 90,000 people attended the opening ceremony. 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. In preparation for the 1992 Summer Olympics matches, two additional tiers of seating were installed over the previous roof-line. The Camp Nou hosted part of the football competition, including the final, in the 1992 Summer Olympics.

In Their Own Story

The Camp Nou was one of several stadiums used throughout the 1982 World Cup, hosting the inauguration ceremony on 13 June. It hosted more matches in that tournament than any of the 16 other stadiums used all over Spain, including the opening match, where the traditional opening ceremonies took place. In front of 95,000, Belgium upset the defending champions Argentina 1–0 in that opening match. It then hosted three round-robin matches between the Soviet Union, Poland and Belgium, which Poland ended up winning and qualifying from to reach the semi-finals, where they played Italy at the Camp Nou, losing 2–0. The Camp Nou also hosted the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Bayern led early through Mario Basler's goal in the sixth minute and kept the lead as the clock reached 90 minutes, but United came back to win with injury time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. The European Cup final between Milan and Steaua București was held on 24 May 1989, with the Italian club winning 4–0. On 1 October 2017, Barcelona's league match against Las Palmas was played in an empty Camp Nou due to political turmoil in the region.

Reader's Guide

The stadium houses the second-most visited museum in Catalonia, the Barcelona Museum, which receives more than 1.2 million visitors per year. The facilities include a memorabilia shop, mini-pitches for training matches and a chapel for the players. 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. In 2022, music streaming service Spotify reached a deal with Barcelona to acquire the naming rights to the stadium for four years in a deal worth $310 million. The stadium was rebranded as the Spotify Camp Nou in July 2022.

Did You Know?

• Camp Nou opened on 24 September 1957, the feast of La Mercè, with a solemn mass and some 90,000 people in attendance.
• The stadium's capacity grew to 121,401 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and Barcelona's record attendance of 120,000 was set on 5 March 1986 in a European Cup quarter-final against Juventus.
• In preparation for the 1992 Summer Olympics, two additional tiers of seating were installed over the previous roof-line.
• The Camp Nou houses the second-most visited museum in Catalonia, the Barcelona Museum, which receives more than 1.2 million visitors per year.
• On 1 October 2017, Barcelona's league match against Las Palmas was played in an empty Camp Nou due to political turmoil in the region.