UEFA Approves Barcelona's Request to Play 1st CL away from Camp Nou

UEFA has granted Barcelona permission to play their opening group stage fixture of the 2025/2026 Champions League away from home, scheduled between September 16 and 18, as renovation works continue at the Spotify Camp Nou.

The decision comes at a crucial moment for the Catalan giants, who are racing against time to complete the first phase of the stadium redevelopment. The partial reopening is expected to initially host around 27,000 fans, gradually increasing to 45,000 before full completion.

On Thursday, a UEFA delegation carried out an on-site inspection of the stadium’s readiness, just days after a similar visit by La Liga officials. Barcelona must still secure a “CFO” certificate of completion from the city council — a mandatory requirement before the venue can be opened to supporters.

Although Barça requested to play their first European fixture away in order to gain an additional two weeks of preparation, UEFA regulations stipulate that all group stage matches must be held at a single stadium until January. This puts added pressure on the club to ensure Camp Nou is approved at the minimum required capacity, or to consider Montjuïc Stadium as a fallback option.

The uncertainty also extends to La Liga, as it remains unclear where Barcelona will host their first home league match against Valencia on September 13 or 14. The Olympic Stadium is unavailable that weekend due to a major concert scheduled the day before.