How much money will Barcelona lose by playing at Estadi Johan Cruyff? | OneFootball

Five days before facing Valencia, FC Barcelona finally confirmed the official venue for their La Liga Matchday 4 clash – their first home game of the season.

Despite exploring every possible route to reopen Spotify Camp Nou, the club were unable to obtain the First Occupancy Licence from the City Council. As a result, Estadi Johan Cruyff will host Sunday’s match.

In the long term, once the Camp Nou redevelopment is complete, this one-off fixture may seem insignificant. But in the short term, the inability to return on schedule is a serious setback for Barça, both institutionally and financially.

Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, where Barça have been playing for the last two seasons, was not an option, owing to a concert taking place at the venue on 12 September, two days before the game.

Barcelona urgently need matchday revenue to help repay their loan to Goldman Sachs, and staging the game at Estadi Cruyff instead of Camp Nou or Montjuic will inevitably slash income.

Comparing Montjuic revenues

While it is impossible to know the exact figures Camp Nou would have generated, it is possible to estimate against Montjuic, which is what SPORT has done in an extensive report.

During the 2024/25 campaign, Barça averaged €2.8 million per match at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. That average was based on attendances of around 45,000, who spent an average of €61.8 per person.

Barcelona will play their first home game of the season at Estadi Johan Cruyff. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

However, several factors must be considered. Firstly, season-ticket holders: Barça had roughly 22,600 of them at Montjuic last season.

Meanwhile, for this first La Liga home game at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, the club will not activate full-season passes. Instead, 16,151 members who held passes during the Montjuic exile will have priority access to tickets through a ballot system.

Secondly, ticket pricing. At the Joan Gamper Trophy on 10 August, standard seats ranged from €138 to €198, while VIP areas reached €500 and presidential box seats €600.

Despite the steep prices, all 6,000 tickets sold out, with 5,967 fans in attendance.

If matchday revenues followed the same ratio as Montjuic, Barça would generate around €370,000 at the Johan Cruyff Stadium – €2.43 million less than last season’s average.

Even so, the real loss will be slightly smaller thanks to lower operating costs. Unlike Montjuic, Barça does not have to pay rent for Estadi Johan Cruyff, and the smaller venue requires fewer staff and far lower overheads.