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Barcelona will finally return to their eternal home, Spotify Camp Nou, this weekend, with the club confirming that Saturday’s LaLiga match against Athletic Club will be played at their historic home ground. In a statement, the Catalan Club said that the match for LaLiga matchday 13 against Athletic Club, scheduled for Saturday, November 22 at 16:15, will indeed be held at Spotify Camp Nou. The decision follows the club’s receipt of the first occupancy license corresponding to Phase 1B, which permits an increased capacity of up to 45,401 spectators. Although renovation work is still underway, Barça received a key license from the local council on Monday, allowing matches to be hosted with a limited capacity of 45,401 spectators. Camp Nou has been closed for major refurbishment since 2023, forcing Barcelona to play their home fixtures at the city’s Olympic Stadium. The original plan was to return by the end of 2024, but multiple delays pushed the timeline back. With the new approval, the Spanish champions will once again play in front of a sizeable home crowd. The club initially received permission in October to reopen the venue, but the capacity limit at the time, within 25,991, was deemed financially unviable for an immediate return. Earlier this month, Barcelona held a test event at Camp Nou with just under 23,000 fans attending an open training session, which president Joan Laporta described as a success. Following the test event, Barça submitted documentation last week to extend the capacity limit and received clearance on Monday. Saturday’s match against Athletic will also kick-start a busy run of fixtures for the Catalan side. Barcelona are scheduled to travel to Chelsea in the Champions League next, before hosting consecutive home games against Alavés and Atlético Madrid—now cleared to be played at Camp Nou. However, uncertainty remains over whether the Champions League tie against Frankfurt on December 9 will be held at Camp Nou or return to the Olympic Stadium. UEFA has different regulations from La Liga regarding mid-season venue changes, though Laporta has expressed optimism, saying the club has plans in place to meet all requirements, including covered seating for officials. At present, the stadium’s lower two tiers are complete, while construction continues on the third tier and the new roof structure. Full renovation is expected to be completed by 2027, when the stadium’s capacity will expand to 105,000.

Lionel Messi admits that he and his wife Antonela Roccuzzo are “constantly talking” about a future return to Barcelona. The Argentine maestro went viral on social media after posting a picture of himself strolling on the pitch of the new Camp Nou on Monday. It was a nighttime visit, completely unannounced. The greatest player in Barcelona’s history was back at his former home, where he had been “very happy”. Read more: 3 new faces in Argentina squad, Messi uncertain for upcoming friendlies Posting the photos and a short video, Messi wrote in the caption: “Last night I returned to a place I miss with all my soul. A place where I was incredibly happy, where you all made me feel like the happiest person in the world a thousand times over. I hope I can return someday, and not just to say goodbye as a player, like I never got to…” Messi made an emotional exit from Camp Nou in 2021 when, amid financial struggles for the LaLiga giants, no new contract could be signed. He moved to Paris with his family, before eventually heading to Miami. There has been talk over the last four years about a possible return in a playing capacity, but Messi has now committed to a contract in South Florida that will keep him in MLS through the 2028 campaign. While a playing comeback for the Blaugrana has become unrealistic, the 38-year-old superstar still intends to return to his spiritual home. With his secret tour of Barcelona’s iconic revamped stadium, speculation has surged once again. A day later, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Diario SPORT, Messi discussed his unexpected departure, his hope of returning to Barcelona, and also spoke about the upcoming World Cup.

Barcelona entered the pitch at Balaídos aware that Real Madrid had dropped points against Rayo Vallecano. They successfully capitalized on the situation, closing the gap on La Liga summit to three points. The Catalans secured an important 4-2 victory over Celta Vigo on Sunday night thanks to a hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski. Lamine Yamal netted the other goal, while Marcus Rashford provided two assists. Despite falling behind twice, Celta fought back each time before succumbing after Barcelona’s third goal. Lewandowski gave Barcelona the lead with a perfect spot-kick in the 10th minute after Marcos Alonso of Celta handled the ball in the box. However, Sergio Carreira took no time to equalize for the hosts through a counterattack. The Polish striker scored again in the 37th minute to make it 2-1, but defensive lapses haunted Hansi Flick’s side as Borja Iglesias restored parity six minutes later. Barcelona regained the lead before halftime when young sensation Lamine Yamal scored a superb goal. Barcelona resumed the second half with greater composure, controlling the tempo and piling pressure on Celta’s defense. Lewandowski sealed the victory in the 72nd minute, heading home a well-placed corner from Rashford with a spectacular back-header. The victory was slightly marred as Frenkie de Jong received a red card late in the match, ruling him out of the next game. Barcelona head into the international break sitting in second place with 28 points from 12 matches, three behind leaders Real Madrid. After the break, the Catalan giants will host Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou on November 22.

Barcelona dominated possession by 76 percent and produced 23 attempts, but spent almost the entire match chasing equalizers as a defensive nightmare sank the Catalans in Belgium. Hansi Flick’s men dropped points again, this time in a 3-3 draw against a promising Club Brugge side. It was a match where the Blaugrana could easily have returned home with a big win, but their recurring defensive woes haunted them from the opening whistle to the last minute. In fact, they could have lost the match 4-3 had Brugge’s stoppage-time goal not been ruled out. The home side started brightly, taking the lead in the 6th minute after creating a couple of early chances. On their third attempt, Carlos Forbs initiated a counter-attack and squared the ball to Nicolo Tresoldi in front of Barca’s box. The 21-year-old Italy-born German international slotted the ball under Wojciech Szczęsny to give Brugge the opening goal. However, the visitors wasted no time in responding, as Ferran Torres equalised just two minutes later. Fermín López carried the attack through the right channel and delivered a delicious low cross across the six-yard box. The Spanish forward made no mistake in connecting and finding the net. After the quick exchange of goals, Barca took complete control of the match and began to pile pressure on the Brugge defence. Fermín nearly put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute, but his long-range shot struck the outside of the left post and bounced away. Despite Barcelona’s dominance, it was the home team who struck again, capitalising on another counter-attack in the 17th minute. Barcelona’s defensive line was pushed too high, allowing Christos Tzolis to break from midfield on a solo run. The winger squared the ball to Forbs, who beat Szczęsny without facing any challenge to restore Brugge’s lead.

Barcelona returned to winning ways after a frustrating 2-1 defeat in El Clásico last week, securing a 3-1 victory over Elche on Sunday. The win brought Barcelona within five points of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table. The Catalans went ahead with two quick goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres in the 9th and 12th minutes respectively. Rafa Mir pulled one back for Elche three minutes before halftime, before Marcus Rashford sealed the victory for the Blaugrana in the 61st minute. Injury-plagued Barcelona had struggled to show character at the Santiago Bernabéu last week, but this time Hansi Flick’s men responded in style. Their intent to return to form was evident from the opening whistle, as they dominated the early stages. In the ninth minute, Alejandro Balde intercepted a misplaced pass in midfield and sent a precise through ball into the penalty area. Yamal controlled it between two defenders and fired a powerful shot past the goalkeeper to give Barcelona the lead. Barely two minutes later, Barcelona doubled their advantage. From the left flank, Fermín López’s low cross found unmarked Ferran Torres inside the six-yard box, and the winger calmly slotted home with his right foot. It was Ferran’s 50th goal wearing the Barca shirt. López, who had scored Barcelona’s only goal against Real Madrid the previous week, almost found the net again in the 33rd minute with a curling long-range effort that was superbly pushed away by the Elche goalkeeper. After spending most of the first half defending, Elche pulled one back in the 42nd minute with their first meaningful attack. Álvaro Núñez led a counter-attack and set up Rafa Mir, who drove into the box unchallenged and finished clinically into the far corner.

FC Barcelona’s injury crisis deepened as Pedri González became the latest player to be sidelined, suffering a hamstring injury in his left thigh, the club said on Wednesday. Before the injury, the Canary Islander midfielder had missed only one game under coach Hansi Flick, featuring in 72 of a possible 73 matches, according to the club. Pedri is the only player in the squad to have surpassed 1,000 minutes this season, having started all 13 official matches and played nearly every minute. With very little rest, he now appears to have reached his physical limit. He had even worked out in the gym on Wednesday morning before the bad news arrived. “The first team player Pedri has suffered a tear in the distal biceps femoris muscle in his left thigh. The player's recovery will dictate his return to action,” the club said in a statement. Pedri was already set to miss Sunday’s La Liga match against Elche due to a red card suspension in Sunday’s El Clásico, but the new injury means he will be sidelined for a much longer spell. The club has not provided a specific recovery timeline, but several Spanish media outlets report that he is not expected to return before the November international break, ruling him out of the Champions League clash against Club Brugge and the La Liga fixture against Celta Vigo. This news is a real headache for Hansi Flick, who loses his midfield metronome ahead of key fixtures. With Pedri sidelined, the number of injured Barcelona players has now climbed to eight, including Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, Joan Garcia, Christensen, Gavi, and Ter Stegen. Among them, Lewandowski is the only one nearing a return, having trained with the full squad on Wednesday. The Polish striker could feature against Elche after missing three games (against Girona, Olympiacos, and Madrid) due to an injury sustained during the last international break. Meanwhile, Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia have resumed light field training but will not be rushed back. Raphinha is also expected to return after the international break, following his injury in Oviedo on September 25.

Barcelona entered the first El Clasico of the season having beaten their arch-rivals in all four meetings last season, but they fell apart at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, suffering a 2-1 defeat against a fired-up Real Madrid side. From the opening whistle, Real Madrid’s hunger for victory was evident. Xabi Alonso’s men played with high intensity and purpose, while Hansi Flick’s Barcelona lacked the drive and sharpness needed to challenge Madrid on their home turf. In truth, the visitors were fortunate to avoid a heavier defeat. Barcelona were also missing the guidance of their head coach, as Hansi Flick served a one-match suspension following a red card in their previous game. Their woes were compounded by injuries to key players including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and goalkeeper Joan García. Madrid began the match on the front foot, pressing aggressively and creating early danger. They earned a penalty inside the opening five minutes, but it was denied after a VAR review. Moments later, Kylian Mbappé found the net with a stunning long-range strike in the 12th minute, but VAR again ruled the effort out for offside. Bayern break record, extend perfect run against 10-man Gladbach Despite the early setbacks, Real Madrid continued to dominate a disjointed Barcelona side. Their persistence paid off in the 22nd minute when Jude Bellingham split the defense with a precise through ball, allowing Mbappé to fire home a legitimate opener. Barcelona found a response in the 38th minute through Fermin, who capitalized on a superb build-up led by Marcus Rashford. However, Madrid restored their lead just five minutes later. Vinícius Jr. drove down the left flank and delivered a pinpoint cross, which Bellingham guided into the net from a clever pass by Éder Militão. Los Blancos went into halftime with a 2-1 advantage, and it could easily have been more. Barcelona struggled to cope with Madrid’s pressing. Barca’s young winger Lamine Yamal managed to touch the ball just once inside the opposition box during the first half. Early in the second half, Real Madrid were awarded another penalty after Eric García handled the ball with hand inside the box while attempting to block Bellingham. However, Wojciech Szczęsny denied Mbappé’s spot kick, keeping Barcelona in the competition. Sunderland stun Chelsea with stoppage time winner to go second in EPL Madrid thought they had extended their lead in the 68th minute when Bellingham finished off a swift counterattack, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Barcelona improved after the break, showing more energy and control in possession. Despite dominating the ball for long spells, they lacked pace and precision in the final third, failing to break through Madrid’s disciplined defense. So, Bellingham’s second goal remained the difference as Real Madrid fans left the stadium with a wide smile. With the win, Real Madrid moved five points clear at the top of the La Liga table, leading with 27 points from 10 matches. Barcelona remain second with 22 points.  

Barcelona returned to winning ways with a commanding 6–1 victory over Olympiacos, but their celebration was marred by a controversial red-card decision that drew frustration from players and fans alike. Fermín López led the Catalans with a hat-trick, Marcus Rashford added a brace, and teenager Lamine Yamal converted a penalty in the emphatic win. Missing key players including Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Gavi and goalkeeper Joan García, Hansi Flick handed a rare start to young striker Dro Fernández. The new-look Barça attack pressed high from the begining and grabbed an early lead through a combination of Yamal’s sharp run and Fermín’s precise finish. In the sixth minute, Yamal sliced through the Olympiacos defence from the right flank and sent a low ball into the box, where Fermín fired home through a crowded defence. Rashford nearly doubled the lead with a free kick from just outside the box in the 11th minute, missing by inches.

Ronald Araujo struck a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Barcelona edged Girona 2–1 in La Liga on Saturday, but head coach Hansi Flick’s red card late in the match cast a shadow over the victory ahead of next week’s El Clasico. The match appeared to be heading for a draw when Araujo, who came on in the 82nd minute, slid in to convert a cut-back from Frenkie de Jong in the third minute of added time. The defender ripped off his shirt in celebration as the home crowd erupted at the Olympic Stadium. Earlier, Pedri had given Barcelona the lead in the 13th minute with a fine low finish after combining with Lamine Yamal. Girona levelled in the 20th minute through Belgian midfielder Alex Witsel, who found the net with a spectacular bicycle kick following a corner. Messi breaks another record in international football Barcelona dominated possession, enjoying 68 percent of the ball and registering 27 shots, nine of them on target. Girona had 11 attempts, with four on goal. Despite creating several chances in the second half, the hosts were repeatedly denied by the Girona goalkeeper until Araujo’s late winner. The victory ended Barcelona’s run of two straight defeats in all competitions, including losses to PSG in the Champions League and Sevilla in La Liga before the international break. With the win, the defending champions moved one point clear at the top with 22 points from nine matches. Real Madrid, second with 21 points from a game in hand, can regain the lead if they beat Getafe on Sunday. Ronaldo breaks new record as Hungary hold Portugal in WC qualifier However, Barcelona’s celebrations were slightly dampened as head coach Flick received a second yellow card for dissent just before Araujo’s goal, ruling him out of the season’s first El Clásico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Ronald Koeman came under pressure after losing the El Classico earlier this week. There was a buzz in Spain that the coach will be replaced if he fails to produce against Rayo Vallecano. The rumor came true after failing to win a rather easy La Liga fixture on Wednesday (October 27). Following the defeat, the club stated in an official statement that first-team coach Ronald Koeman has been fired after 14 months in command. Let's take a look at the top candidates for Ronald Koeman's replacement at FC Barcelona.    Ronald Koeman's Potential Successors at FC Barcelona Barcelona's newly elected president Joan Laporta extended Koeman's contract for another season earlier this summer despite his unimpressive style of play. However, he fell short in terms of decision-making. Under his leadership, Barcelona has only 15 points from ten La Liga games this season. His team also lost twice in the ongoing UEFA Champions League group stage. The Barcelona board was increasingly frustrated with Koeman's poor managerial performance, and his termination was on the cards after the defeat against arch-rival Real Madrid. Here are a few prospective Koeman replacements. Read Man United humiliated: Salah hat trick in 5-0 Liverpool rout Jordi Cruyff Jordi Cruyff, the son of former Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff, is one of the leading contenders for the position. He is quite knowledgeable about Blaugrana's style. Because his father was the main architect of Barcelona's famed tiki-taka style of play. Jordi understands exactly what Barcelona expect from him.  Jordi has previously held managerial positions with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Shenzen FC, and the Ecuadorian national team. Currently, he is serving as the sports advisor at Barcelona. It will not be a bad choice if the club names Jr. Cruyff as the next Barcelona first-team coach. Read Madrid wins 2-1 at Barcelona in first post-Messi ‘clásico’ Antonio Conte Italian coach Antonio Conte is the most well-known name on the market. He resigned as manager after winning Serie A with Inter Milan last season. Conte has a particular vision and approach to the game. He has the capability to bring out the best in his players and can help Barcelona to regain its glory. One major issue is, Conte's ideology may not be completely aligned with FC Barcelona's. Barcelona might be considering him as an alternative for Koeman if they are unable to convince their other main targets.  Read European soccer leagues oppose FIFA biennial World Cup plan