FC Barcelona reached another major milestone in the reconstruction of Camp Nou on Monday, when construction crews installed the final section of the stadium’s 360-degree steel compression ring.
The ring sits above the third tier and will serve as the structure from which the stadium’s new roof is raised. The completed stadium is expected to seat 105,000 people when work finishes in 2028.
The compression ring consists of 123 hollow steel box sections, each weighing 20 metric tons. Large cranes have
lifted the sections onto 46 pillars weighing 28 tons each, which were completed over the summer. The outer ring will carry the tension from steel cables running inward to an inner tension ring, allowing the roof to be supported without interior columns blocking spectators’ views.
The design is similar to a bicycle wheel, with the cables running between the outer and inner rings. The finished roof will cover 48,000 square meters, making it one of the world’s largest tensile roof structures. It will also include 18,000 square meters of solar panels.
The next step is connecting and tensioning the cables. After that comes the “big lift,” when the roof structure will be raised into position. That operation is scheduled to begin after the current season and will force Hansi Flick’s team back to the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, Barcelona’s temporary second home, for several months.
Reports say official sources have said the roof installation should take four to five months, although some experts believe it could take at least six.
The project is also putting pressure on the club’s finances. Barcelona recently approved €510 million in new financing to help complete the Camp Nou project. The package includes €300 million for the stadium works and €210 million in media-note financing.
Vice President of Economy Ferran Olivé said at the club’s most recent Assembly of Delegates that Barcelona’s budget for next season will be based on a return to the Camp Nou in January 2028. The plan is for the stadium to reopen with roughly 95,000 spectators, close to its eventual capacity.
The stadium currently holds about 62,000 fans and is expected to reach roughly 70,000 during the current season as new VIP boxes open between the second and third tiers. The third tier will remain closed until the team returns to Camp Nou after the roof has been installed.
Matchday revenue will go up as more fans are allowed to attend the Camp Nou, either due to expansions in the stadium’s capacity, or because the team will not be forced to play at the Olympic Stadium.
