Barcelona combine 2027 US tour plans with fresh push to finish Spotify Camp Nou

Barcelona are planning a return to the United States for their 2027 pre-season tour while securing €300m in new funding for the redevelopment of Spotify Camp Nou.

The club is pursuing the two projects as part of a wider commercial and sporting strategy, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, with the US trip intended to strengthen Barcelona’s brand and expand its international revenue.

Barcelona have not visited the United States in the past two years but are working on a 2027 training camp, with the west coast currently the preferred destination in line with the first-team coaching staff’s plans. The final itinerary and match schedule remain subject to negotiations with the organisations involved in arranging the tour.

The US was a regular part of Barcelona’s summer preparations in recent years. In 2022, the squad trained on the east coast and based itself in Fort Lauderdale before travelling to the west coast in 2023 for an extended stay in Los Angeles. The team returned to the east coast in 2024, completing preparations in Orlando and Annapolis.

Barcelona opted against travelling to the country in 2025 because of the congested football calendar created by the FIFA Club World Cup. They also stayed away in 2026, when the United States hosted the World Cup. The club instead visited Japan and South Korea in 2025 and held its traditional training camp in England the following summer.

With neither a World Cup nor a European Championship taking place in 2027, Barcelona believe the timing is suitable for a commercially valuable US tour. The club has a sizeable following in the country and sees the market as important for growing its support and increasing income through commercial activity and friendly matches.

From a sporting perspective, the schedule should allow Hansi Flick to work with most of his squad from the beginning of pre-season, without the disruption caused by major international tournaments. Flick was particularly impressed by the facilities at the United States Naval Academy training centre in Annapolis during the team’s 2024 visit. Barcelona are now developing the full preparation programme before confirming the location and match dates.

€300m funding for Spotify Camp Nou

Barcelona have completed a €300m bond issue after receiving the necessary approval from Spain’s National Securities Market Commission. The additional financing is intended to support the final stages of the Spotify Camp Nou redevelopment, a central element of the club’s long-term financial plans.

Goldman Sachs acted as the bond issue’s sole placement agent. The transaction was approved by club delegates at the ordinary general assembly on 19 September, receiving 90.79% of the vote. It forms part of the financing structure for the Espai Barca project, which initially received approval for €1.5bn before several refinancing operations redistributed the club’s obligations.

The redeveloped stadium is planned to hold 104,600 spectators, making it the largest football ground in Europe by capacity. The project also includes expanded hospitality facilities, around 9,500 premium seats and a double ring of private boxes between the second and third tiers.

The financing is backed by a securitisation fund that buys rights to certain future stadium revenues. Barcelona have refinanced the project several times without increasing the original principal, with an average financing cost of about 6.15% and the latest margin set at 242 basis points.

The club expects all work to be completed in the first half of 2028, following the installation of the roof in summer and autumn 2027. UEFA has selected Spotify Camp Nou to host the men’s Champions League final in 2029, while Barcelona also hope to stage the women’s Champions League final in 2031 and host matches at the 2030 World Cup.

At the 19 October general assembly, Barcelona vice-president for economic affairs Ferran Olive said that about 80% of the work had been completed. He said this gave the board confidence there would be no further budget overruns or need for additional borrowing, adding that the financing would not burden members, mortgage the club or affect its normal operating resources. Olive said the stadium’s future additional income would provide the main guarantee and that the need for a further €300m had been anticipated because of changes made during construction.