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Camp Nou Experience ( Ank Kumar, INFOSYS Limited ). Photo by Ank Kumar-

Top 10 Facts about Camp Nou

Camp Nou is often referred to in English as Nou Camp, and it was officially branded Spotify Camp Nou for sponsorship reasons. Camp Nou is a football stadium in Barcelona, Spain and the home stadium for FC Barcelona, with a current seating capacity of 99,354.

On March 22, 2022, it was released that music streaming service Spotify had reached a deal with FC Barcelona to acquire naming rights to the stadium in a deal worth $310 million. It was named Spotify Camp Nou.

Currently, the stadium is undergoing renovations which started on June 2022, after the end of the season.

Learn more about Camp Nou in these top 10 facts.

1. Camp Nou is the Largest Football Stadium in Europe

Camp Nou is not just the largest football stadium in Spain but also the largest football stadium in Europe.

The stadium currently has a seating capacity of 99,354 and is the fourth largest association football stadium in the world.

2. The Stadium was Established in 1957

Camp Nou, FCB (Ank Kumar, Infosys). Photo by Ank Kumar-

The construction of Camp Nou began in March 1954 because the previous Barcelona stadium Camp de Les Corts, had no room for expansion. In 1950 the club signed Laszlo Kubala, which attracted many fans; thus contributing to the need for a new stadium.

The appointed president of FC Barcelona, Francesc Miro-Sans, in November 1953, relaunched the project’s construction on the acquired land. The first stone was laid on March 28, 1954.

The Camp Nou stadium was inaugurated on September 24, 1957, coinciding the date with the famous Catalan festival known as the festival of Merce.

During the inauguration, football clubs from all over Catalonia paraded on the field and members of the different sections of Barca, the penyes and the Fc Barcelona teams.

3. The Stadium Was Constructed by Three Architects

During its construction, it had three architects, two main architects, Francesc Mitjans and Joseph Soteras, as well as assistant architect Lorenzo Garcia-Barbon. All the architects were from Barcelona.

The primary building material for the stadium recommended and used by the architect was concrete and iron. The stadium’s maximum height is 48 meters and covers an area of about 55,000 square meters.

It only took three years for Camp Nou to be completed, from 1954 to 1957. The construction was expensive, staggering 288 million Peseta ( 2 million US dollars),FC Barcelona was left in serious debt for multiple years following the construction.

4. FC Barcelona Won the first Match in the New Stadium

The first game in the stadium saw FC Barcelona beat a collection of Hungarian players called Warsaw XI at the end of a long day of festivities in celebration of the opening of Camp Nou.

The game ended in a 4-2 win for FC Barcelona and Eulogio Martinez, a Paraguayan player who wore the shirt of FC Barcelona for 7 years. He made history as the first-ever player to score a goal at the new stadium.

FC Barcelona’s official match occurred on October 6, 1957, at the Camp Nou stadium in a league game against Jaen. FC Barcelona beat Jaen with a 6-1 score, setting a success story immediately.

5. Camp Nou Underwent Expansion in the Early 1980s

A panoramic view of Camp Nou. Photo by Johannes Falke-

In anticipation of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was seriously expanded to make a significant expansion.

 A third tier was added, creating more seating capacity to 71,731, while the standing capacity from 6,500 to 49,670. The total capacity of the stadium went to 121, 401.

The stadium also added boxes, VIP Lounges, new markers, and a new press area. The third-tier height was smaller than the original design by 6 meters.

6. The Stadium Hosted the Opening Game of the 1982 FIFA World Cup

Camp Nou was one of the several stadiums chosen to be used throughout the 1982 World Cup. The official opening match and traditional opening ceremonies took place, including releasing a dove.

The most prominent games were the defending World Championship, Argentina and Belgium opening match. Argentina lost the game 0-1 and was eliminated in the second group stage.

It hosted three round-robin matches between the Soviet Union, Poland and Belgium. Poland won, qualifying to reach the semi-finals, where they played at Camp Nou, losing 2-0 and Italy proceeded to the finals.

7. The Stadium Hosted Two European Cup/ Champions League Finals

Camp Nou. Photo by Jordi Roca-

The first time the biggest game in European club football was hosted at the Camp Nou stadium was on May 24, 1989.

The Italian side AC Milan beat Steaua Bucharest with a clear 4-0 score to become the European Champions.

Also, the most memorable moments in European football happened at Camp Nou when Bayern Munich and Manchester United played each other in the finals hosted in Barcelona in 1999.

Bayern Munich took the lead and ended up conceding 2 extra goals in extra time, marking the most surprising comebacks in the history of the European Cup Finals.

8. The Stadium Has Been Used for Other Purposes Other than Football

Camp Nous has often hosted major concerts. On November 17, 1982, pope John Paul II celebrated mass for a congregation of over 121,500 on the occasion of being made an honorary citizen of Barcelona.

The stadium hosted high-profile performances held in the stadium, including one by Julio Iglesias on September 1983 and 1988. Michael Jackson performed there in August 1988 during his Bad World Tour.

9. The Fans Can view all the Trophies Won

FC Barcelona fans can see all the trophies won by the football club over the years. They are displayed in the Museum in Camp Nou. All you can do is book the Camp Nou Experience tour.

During the tour, you will see the 22 League trophies and 4 Champions League trophies. The Golden Boots and Ballon D’ors won by Messi are also available.

10. Camp Nou’s Grass is Always Changed

The large roof of the Camp Nou stadium prevents the sun rays from reaching the grass and that’s why it requires constant care and change.

 However, in 2006 they changed to hybrid grass, which combines natural grass with synthetic fibers to provide optimum stability.

In August 2005, the band U2 performed in the stadium during their Vertigo Tour and in July 2009 during 360o Tour, among many other uses by different groups.