FC Barcelona are edging closer to returning home: the Spotify Camp Nou. The Catalan club expects to receive in the coming hours the Certificate of Completion (CFO) for the first phase of the stadium’s renovation, a key document that would allow fans back for the Matchday 4 clash of LaLiga EA Sports against Valencia.

The board is confident that once the certificate is delivered, the Ajuntament de Barcelona will swiftly process the first occupancy license, authorizing 27,000 fans to be admitted across the South Stand and Main Stand.

A race against the clock

The calendar is tight and deadlines are pressing. Club sources suggest September 13 or 14 as the target dates for the Camp Nou return, though any delay would force a fallback to Montjuïc, the already-communicated alternative venue to LaLiga and UEFA.

In fact, representatives of both organizations will visit the stadium at the end of August to verify construction progress. Should Barça be drawn to play their first Champions League group-stage match at home, the stadium would need to be ready by September 16 or 17—leaving virtually no margin.

Coming back wouldn’t just mean reopening the club’s iconic stadium; it would also strengthen the emotional bond between supporters and a team starting the season hungry for titles, led by their new jewel: Lamine Yamal.