BARCELONA: Barcelona announced on Wednesday their long-awaited return to the new Camp Nou for an August 10 friendly after years of work to expand and modernize the iconic stadium.

The traditional pre-season Joan Gamper Trophy match will only mark the stadium’s partial reopening, with construction work continuing in various areas, the current Spanish champions said in a statement.

This includes the completion of the new third tier, the dual VIP ring, the roof installation, interior spaces and development of the stadium’s surrounding area.

The Catalan giants have not confirmed the initial capacity, but local media reported that the available stands can hold 35,000 fans.

“Barcelona takes a symbolic and emotional step into the future, reclaiming its home in a new era that will culminate with the complete inauguration of the new stadium,” the club said.

Barca will have another month to continue work on the stadium after requesting to play their first three La Liga games of the upcoming season away from home.

After suffering several delays since beginning in 2023, the project dubbed “Espai Barca” is due to finish in the summer of 2026 and boost the Camp Nou’s capacity to 105,000.

Barcelona have in the meantime played their home games at the smaller Montjuic Olympic stadium.