La Liga yet to approve Estadi Johan Cruyff as venue for Barcelona vs Valencia | OneFootball

With just a week left for FC Barcelona to play their first home game of the 2025/26 season, there is still a big question mark over where it will take place.

Barcelona continue to work against the clock to get Spotify Camp Nou ready to host Valencia on 14 September, but everything suggests that the return will not be possible.

As such, Barça have proposed Estadi Johan Cruyff as an alternative to host Los Che, considering that Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Montjuic cannot be used because of a concert taking place a few days before the date.

Earlier this week, reports emerged claiming that La Liga had given the green light for the game to be held at Estadi Johan Cruyff despite the fact that it does not meet the minimum capacity criteria of 8,000 fans, while additional VAR infrastructure also needs to be installed.

La Liga clarifies the situation

However, according to the latest update from Que T’hi Jugues, La Liga clarifies that it has not yet approved the Barcelona vs Valencia match to be held at Estadi Johan Cruyff.

Estadi Johan Cruyff could host Barcelona vs Valencia. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

The league states that positive progress has been made with regard to the possibility of using it as a venue for the game next weekend, but audits and reviews will still take place during the coming week before the final approval can be given.

As mentioned earlier, the stadium will need to be equipped with the necessary VAR infrastructure beyond the basic setup that it currently houses.

La Liga is prepared to overlook the minimum crowd capacity required, with the stadium capable of housing only 6,000 fans, given the special circumstances.

Barcelona’s main objective remains to play the game at Spotify Camp Nou and are still carrying hope that the required First Occupancy Licence can be issued in time.

However, with the chances of that appearing rather slim, Estadi Johan Cruyff could be the likeliest venue for Barcelona vs Valencia come next weekend.