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Barcelona could not have scripted a more poetic homecoming. After 909 days of exile, the Catalans returned to their beloved Spotify Camp Nou on Wednesday night and marked the occasion with a resounding 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao — a win that briefly lifted them to the summit of La Liga ahead of Real Madrid. The night belonged to history, emotion, and a team rediscovering its rhythm. Robert Lewandowski, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in what was his 160th appearance for the club, carved his name into Camp Nou folklore by scoring the first goal at the renovated stadium. For Ferran Torres, this new era started with a flourish. The forward struck twice, both assisted by Yamal, who justified every bit of the hype surrounding him with a dazzling display of vision and composure. And as if to reaffirm Barcelona’s renewed strength, goalkeeper Joan García, back from injury, delivered a commanding performance to keep Bilbao at bay. Barca needed less than five minutes to trigger a new chapter in their storied home. Yamal drove forward with characteristic fearlessness before slicing open Bilbao’s defence with a brilliant through-ball. A quick series of passes followed, and Lewandowski, gliding into space, unleashed a powerful strike into the net to ignite the stadium. But the visitors refused to be mere spectators. Bilbao answered instantly with waves of attack, dominating nearly ten minutes and testing Barcelona’s defensive structure. In the 20th minute, Fermín’s low shot forced Unai Simón into action, and Dani Olmo sent the rebound narrowly wide. Four minutes later, Ferran Torres found the net but was denied by the offside flag. Bilbao’s biggest chance of the half arrived in the 36th minute when Unai Gómez failed to beat Joan García from close range. Moments later, Gómez’s long-range effort sailed over the bar, and in the 41st minute Nico Williams miscued his attempt from just outside the six-yard box. Then, just before the interval, Barcelona struck again. A counterattack led by Yamal set Ferran free, and although Simón got a hand to it, the ball rolled in to make it 2-0 at halftime. The second half began with Barcelona pouncing on a defensive error, allowing Fermín to coolly slot home their third goal of the night. Bilbao’s hopes unraveled further in the 54th minute when Oihan Sancet saw red for a reckless challenge on Fermín. Initially shown a yellow, the card turned red after VAR intervention. With a man advantage, Barcelona dominated possession and tempo, while Bilbao retreated into damage-control mode. Olmo came within inches of scoring in the 65th minute, but it was Ferran who completed the rout in stoppage time. Yamal once again orchestrated the move, and after a brief offside scare, VAR confirmed the goal. The victory took Barcelona to 31 points from 13 matches — level with Real Madrid but temporarily ahead on goal difference. Madrid, however, can reclaim the lead with at least a draw in their 13th-round fixture against Elche on Sunday, while a win would take them three points clear. Barcelona now shift their focus to Europe, travelling to London to face Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday. They will return home next Saturday for a La Liga fixture with Deportivo Alavés.  

Barcelona will finally return to their eternal home, Spotify Camp Nou, this weekend, with the club confirming that Saturday’s LaLiga match against Athletic Club will be played at their historic home ground. In a statement, the Catalan Club said that the match for LaLiga matchday 13 against Athletic Club, scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at 16:15, will indeed be held at Spotify Camp Nou. The decision follows the club’s receipt of the first occupancy license corresponding to Phase 1B, which permits an increased capacity of up to 45,401 spectators. Although renovation work is still underway, Barça received a key license from the local council on Monday, allowing matches to be hosted with a limited capacity of 45,401 spectators. Camp Nou has been closed for major refurbishment since 2023, forcing Barcelona to play their home fixtures at the city’s Olympic Stadium. The original plan was to return by the end of 2024, but multiple delays pushed the timeline back. With the new approval, the Spanish champions will once again play in front of a sizeable home crowd. The club initially received permission in October to reopen the venue, but the capacity limit at the time, within 25,991, was deemed financially unviable for an immediate return. Earlier this month, Barcelona held a test event at Camp Nou with just under 23,000 fans attending an open training session, which president Joan Laporta described as a success. Following the test event, Barça submitted documentation last week to extend the capacity limit and received clearance on Monday. Saturday’s match against Athletic will also kick-start a busy run of fixtures for the Catalan side. Barcelona are scheduled to travel to Chelsea in the Champions League next, before hosting consecutive home games against Alavés and Atlético Madrid—now cleared to be played at Camp Nou. However, uncertainty remains over whether the Champions League tie against Frankfurt on December 9 will be held at Camp Nou or return to the Olympic Stadium. UEFA has different regulations from La Liga regarding mid-season venue changes, though Laporta has expressed optimism, saying the club has plans in place to meet all requirements, including covered seating for officials. At present, the stadium’s lower two tiers are complete, while construction continues on the third tier and the new roof structure. Full renovation is expected to be completed by 2027, when the stadium’s capacity will expand to 105,000.

Lionel Messi admits that he and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo are “constantly talking” about a future return to Barcelona. The Argentine maestro went viral on social media after posting a picture of himself strolling on the pitch of the new Camp Nou on Monday. It was a nighttime visit, completely unannounced. The greatest player in Barcelona’s history was back at his former home, where he had been “very happy”. Read more: 3 new faces in Argentina squad, Messi uncertain for upcoming friendlies Posting the photos and a short video, Messi wrote in the caption: “Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my soul. A place where I was incredibly happy, where you all made me feel like the happiest person in the world a thousand times over. I hope I can return someday, and not just to say goodbye as a player, like I never got to…” Messi made an emotional exit from Camp Nou in 2021 when, amid financial struggles for the LaLiga giants, no new contract could be signed. He moved to Paris with his family, before eventually heading to Miami. There has been talk over the last four years about a possible return in a playing capacity, but Messi has now committed to a contract in South Florida that will keep him in MLS through the 2028 campaign. While a playing comeback for the Blaugrana has become unrealistic, the 38-year-old superstar still intends to return to his spiritual home. With his secret tour of Barcelona’s iconic revamped stadium, speculation has surged once again. A day later, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Diario SPORT, Messi discussed his unexpected departure, his hope of returning to Barcelona, and also spoke about the upcoming World Cup.

Uncertainty is growing among FC Barcelona fans as the team’s return to their home stadium, Spotify Camp Nou, continues to be delayed. The repeated postponements have forced the Catalan club to play their first home match of the season last night at the 6,000-capacity Johan Cruyff Stadium. The Nou Camp has served as Barcelona's home ground since it opened in 1957. Renovation work began in June 2023, at a cost of around 1.3bn euros, with the goal of modernising the stadium and expanding its capacity to 105,000 - making it one of the largest grounds in the world. But the club has not provided a clear timeline for when they will be able to return to Camp Nou. On Thursday, club president Joan Laporta stated that “the stadium is almost finished and ready for hosting games.” An official statement was published regarding this as he added, “We will be back home soon,” but did not give a specific date, saying it depends on receiving the necessary permits from the authorities. The president assured fans that the club is working hard to make the return a reality as soon as possible.