Camp Nou facts for kids
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| Full name | Spotify Camp Nou |
|---|---|
| Location | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Public transit |   at Palau Reial or Les Corts    at Collblanc    at Av. de Xile |
| Owner | Barcelona |
| Executive suites | 23 |
| Capacity | 105,000 (expected) |
| Record attendance | 120,000 (Barcelona vs Juventus), 1986 European Cup, Quarter-finals |
| Field size | 105 m × 68 m (115 yd × 74 yd) |
| Surface | GrassMaster Hybrid grass (5% synthetic fibres, 95% natural grass) |
| Scoreboard | Sony |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1954–1957 |
| Opened | 24 September 1957 |
| Renovated | 1982, 2023–2026 (expected) |
| Expanded | 1982, 1994, 2023–2026 expected |
| Construction cost | €1.73 billion |
| Architect | Francesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras |
| Tenants | |
| Barcelona (1957–present) Catalonia national team (selected matches) Barcelona Women (selected matches) |
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| Website | |
| Spotify Camp Nou | |
Camp Nou (which means New Field in Catalan) is a famous stadium in Barcelona, Spain. It is the home of the well-known football club FC Barcelona. The stadium opened in 1957 and has been a key place for football ever since.
It is currently being updated and made bigger. Once the work is finished, it will hold 105,000 people. This will make it the largest stadium in Spain and Europe. It will also be the third-largest football stadium in the world. Since July 2022, it has been known as Spotify Camp Nou due to a sponsorship deal.
Camp Nou has hosted many important football matches. These include two Champions League finals (in 1989 and 1999). It also hosted five matches during the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The stadium was even used for the football final at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
The stadium's big renovation project started after the 2022–2023 football season. The club expects to finish all the updates by June 2026. While the work is happening, FC Barcelona is playing its home games at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
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Building the Famous Camp Nou
The building of Camp Nou began on March 28, 1954. FC Barcelona needed a new stadium because their old one, Camp de Les Corts, was too small. There was no space to make it bigger.
Even though it was first planned to be called Estadi del FC Barcelona, everyone started calling it Camp Nou. This means "new field," and the name stuck. A famous player named László Kubala joined Barcelona in 1950. His arrival made the club even more eager to build a larger stadium.
Francesc Mitjans and Josep Soteras were the main architects who designed the stadium. The construction took longer and cost more than expected. It ended up costing 288 million pesetas, which was a lot of money back then. The club had to take out many loans to finish the project.
Finally, on September 24, 1957, Camp Nou officially opened. This was a big celebration with a special mass and a parade of football clubs. About 90,000 people came to see the opening ceremony. The stadium's design was inspired by De Kuip, a stadium in the Netherlands. It had oval-shaped stands that went all the way around the pitch.
Camp Nou's History and Key Moments
The number of seats in Camp Nou has changed a lot over the years. When it first opened, it could hold 106,146 people. This grew to 121,401 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
In May 1972, Camp Nou hosted its first European Cup Winners' Cup final. Rangers from Scotland played against Dynamo Moscow from Russia. Rangers won the match 3–2. Electronic scoreboards were added to the stadium in 1975.
The stadium was made bigger in 1982 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. New boxes, VIP areas, and a press area were added. A third level of seating was also built. This expansion added 22,150 new seats. The total capacity for both seated and standing fans reached 121,401. The record for attendance was set on March 5, 1986. 120,000 fans watched Barcelona play against Juventus in a European Cup match.
Camp Nou was a very important venue for the 1982 World Cup. It hosted the opening ceremony on June 13. It also held more matches than any other stadium in Spain during that tournament. This included the opening game where Belgium beat the defending champions Argentina 1–0.
The stadium also hosted the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final. Manchester United played against Bayern Munich. Bayern was winning until the very end of the game. But Manchester United scored two goals in injury time to win 2–1.
In 1993–94, Camp Nou had more renovations. The pitch was lowered, and standing areas were replaced with individual seats. New lighting and sound systems were also installed. In 1998–99, UEFA gave Camp Nou a five-star rating for its excellent facilities.
The stadium's official name was "Estadi del FC Barcelona" for many years. But everyone called it Camp Nou. In the 2000–01 season, club members voted to officially change the name to its popular nickname.
Today, Camp Nou has a shop for souvenirs and mini-pitches for training. It also has the FC Barcelona Museum. This museum is very popular, with over 1.2 million visitors each year.
In 2017, a league match between Barcelona and Las Palmas was played in an empty Camp Nou. This happened because of political issues in the region. In 2022, the music company Spotify made a deal with Barcelona. They bought the naming rights for the stadium for four years. This is why it is now called Spotify Camp Nou.
Current Renovation and Expansion Plans
FC Barcelona decided to renovate the stadium to celebrate its 50th anniversary. The goal was to make the stadium a modern and important part of the city. The club wanted to add about 13,500 more seats. This would bring the total capacity to 105,000. This would make it the third-largest stadium in the world.
In 2007, British architect Norman Foster was chosen to redesign Camp Nou. The plan included adding about 6,000 seats. The cost was estimated at €250 million. However, due to money problems in 2008, the project was put on hold.
In 2014, the club decided not to build a new stadium. Instead, they chose to remodel Camp Nou. This plan aimed to increase the capacity to 105,000. The project was expected to cost around €600 million. A more detailed plan was released in 2015, showing a new roof over the stands.
On April 28, 2022, the club confirmed that renovations would begin after the 2022–23 season. The actual work started on June 1, 2023. The club hopes to return to Camp Nou by December 2024, when most of the work will be done. The full renovation is expected to be finished by June 2026. During this time, FC Barcelona is playing its home games at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Other Events at Camp Nou
Camp Nou is not just for football. It has also hosted many other big events, including concerts and religious services.
- Pope John Paul II held a large mass at Camp Nou on November 17, 1982. Over 121,500 people attended.
- Famous singers like Julio Iglesias, Bruce Springsteen, and Michael Jackson have performed concerts here. Michael Jackson's concert in 1988 had 95,000 fans.
- In 1988, a special charity concert called Human Rights Now! took place. It featured artists like Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Peter Gabriel.
- The famous Three Tenors (Josep Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti) performed in 1997.
- The band U2 has played at the stadium three times. Their 2009 concerts had a total of 182,055 people.
Camp Nou has also hosted rugby matches. In 2016, it held the final of France's Top 14 rugby league. This match set a new record for attendance at a domestic rugby game, with 99,124 fans. In 2019, the first Super League rugby game in Spain was played here. The Catalans Dragons beat the Wigan Warriors in front of 31,555 fans.
In 2022, Camp Nou saw some of the largest crowds for women's football. Over 91,000 fans watched Barcelona Women play in the Women's Champions League.
Getting to Camp Nou
It is easy to get to Camp Nou using public transport in Barcelona.
The Barcelona Metro has several stations close to the stadium. These include Palau Reial, Maria Cristina, and Les Corts on Line 3. You can also use Badal on Line 5, or Collblanc on Line 5 or Line 9. These stations are about 500 to 1,000 meters from the stadium. Metro services often run more frequently on match days.
A new metro station called Avinguda de Xile / Camp Nou is being built. It will serve Lines 9 and 10.
The Trambaix tram system also has a station nearby, Avinguda de Xile. This station is about 680 meters from Camp Nou.
Many TMB bus routes also serve the stadium. On match days, there are special bus lines to help fans get to and from the stadium.
Camp Nou is about 13.7 kilometers from El Prat International Airport. You can take Metro Line 9 directly from the airport to Collblanc station, which is a short walk from the stadium.
UEFA Champions League Finals at Camp Nou
| UEFA Champions League finals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Attendance | ||
| 1988–89 | AC Milan  |
4–0 |  Steaua București |
97,000 | ||
| 1998–99 | Manchester United  |
2–1 |  Bayern Munich |
90,245 | ||
1982 FIFA World Cup Matches
The stadium was one of the 17 places that hosted games for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Here are the matches played there:
| Date | Team No. 1 | Result | Team No. 2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 June 1982 |  Argentina |
0–1 |  Belgium |
Group 3 (first round, opening match) | 95,000 |
| 28 June 1982 |  Poland |
3–0 | Belgium |
Group A (second round) | 65,000 |
| 1 July 1982 | Belgium |
0–1 |  Soviet Union |
45,000 | |
| 4 July 1982 | Soviet Union |
0–0 | Poland |
65,000 | |
| 8 July 1982 | Poland |
0–2 | Italy |
Semi-finals | 50,000 |
See also
In Spanish: Camp Nou para niños
