Barcelona are finally home. After almost two and a half years of heavy renovation work, the Spotify Camp Nou reopened its doors in late November 2025. The first league game back, against Athletic Club on November 22, felt like a fresh start for the club. But there is a twist: nine current Barcelona players have still not played a competitive minute at the updated stadium. Their first steps onto the new surface are still to come, and that group includes Joan Garcia, Wojciech Szczesny, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin, Fermin Lopez, Marc Casado, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford, and Roony Bardghji.

This is not a small detail. It is a snapshot of a squad in motion and a stadium still finding its full voice. It also shows how summer signings and young talents are being managed while the club returns to its spiritual home under partial capacity rules.

A long road back to the Camp Nou

The club had been away from official matches at the Camp Nou for nearly 30 months. The rebuild was big, and the timeline was long. The return game on November 22 marked an important milestone, but the stadium remains in a phased reopening.

Only parts of the ground are open right now. Capacity is limited, and the club is seeking permission to raise those limits, section by section. Season tickets are paused for the 2025/26 campaign until full capacity is back. It is a careful process designed to keep fans safe and keep the project on track.

“This isn’t just a stadium tour, it’s a rite of passage.“

The nine still waiting—and why

The headline is simple: nine players have yet to feature at the renovated Spotify Camp Nou. The reasons are normal in football terms. The team is rotating. Minutes are managed. Some players are fresh from summer moves. Others are young and being eased in.

Two names stand out because of their promise and their story inside the club:

• Fermin Lopez – a lively midfielder with a knack for getting into the box and changing tempo.
• Pau Cubarsi – a composed center-back from the academy pathway, known for reading the game calmly.

Both are part of Barcelona’s future. Both are still waiting for that first new-era Camp Nou runout. They are not alone. The group of nine blends recent arrivals from the 2025 summer window and younger players who have grown through training and bench experience but have not yet stepped onto this specific pitch in an official game.

In the short term, this is about choices. The coaching staff must balance results, fitness, and development. In the long term, it’s about building a core that can own this ground for years.

“Let the kids touch the grass—Cubarsí needs that roar.“

Why a debut at the Camp Nou matters

A debut here is different. Even at partial capacity, the stands feel close, and the noise carries. Young players often talk about how the first touch settles nerves. New signings talk about feeling the club’s history under their feet. It is a moment that bonds player and supporter.

For the nine waiting, that bond is still ahead of them. Their first minutes will be more than a stat line; they will be a memory and a marker. When you play at the Camp Nou for the first time, you are no longer just part of a squad list. You are part of a place.

Rotation, fitness, and the winter calendar

All of this is happening during a busy stretch. The squad must navigate league games while the stadium opens in phases. Training loads and minor knocks can change the picture fast. Ahead of the first match back in November, Marcus Rashford’s fitness became a talking point after a training absence. It was not expected to be serious, but it did affect planning. If a forward is in or out, the domino effect reaches the bench and beyond—and it can delay or unlock a debut for someone else.

That is the fine line the staff walk now: protect bodies, keep wins coming, and still give the next wave their stage time.

“Partial seats, full pressure: who grabs the first big moment?“

What the phased reopening means for fans

The club has set clear rules for this comeback year. With capacity capped, there are fewer seats and more demand. Season ticket subscriptions are paused until it is safe and approved to open more areas. As every new section passes checks, more fans will return. The club has said it will keep pushing for authorization to increase capacity as work continues.

For supporters, that means patience and planning. For the players, it means learning to perform in a stadium that feels familiar but not quite full. In a way, that can raise focus. Every cheer is louder when it comes from fewer voices.

When will the nine get their moment?

Soon. That is the best answer. The calendar will bring more home games this winter. Cup ties and busy weeks typically open windows for rotation. New signings often get their chance in these stretches. Young players usually see minutes when the schedule tightens or when games tilt late and demand fresh legs.

Look for small signals: a warm-up that lasts longer than usual, a tactical tweak from the bench, or a matchday squad that shifts by one or two names. Each hint can be the final step before a debut. The moment may come suddenly, but it will have been planned for weeks.

When Fermin Lopez finally starts or when Pau Cubarsi hears his name called, it will not only be about today’s result. It will be about the next chapter of the stadium itself. The new Camp Nou is not just concrete and seats; it is the stage where the next generation must learn to win.

The bigger picture

Barcelona’s summer 2025 window brought three reinforcements, but the heart of the story right now is the return home. The club needed this. The fans needed this. And the players, especially the nine who have not yet set foot here in an official match, need it to complete their own stories.

The coming months should deliver those missing firsts. Some will be quiet. Some will be loud. All of them will matter. Because in Barcelona, every debut at the Camp Nou is a promise: that the future is ready to begin, again.