By George Omagbemi Sylvester
FC Barcelona’s hopes of hosting a raucous Copa del Rey semi‑final second‑leg at a fuller Spotify Camp Nou were dealt a significant setback on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, when the Barcelona City Council denied a licence application that would have allowed the club to increase stadium capacity by around 17,000 seats for their upcoming tie against Atlético Madrid.
The match, scheduled for March 3, 2026, will therefore go ahead with the stadium operating under its current reduced limits — approximately 45,000 spectators instead of the targeted 62,000 — because the club did not complete the necessary documentation and bureaucratic processes to satisfy the council’s safety and administrative requirements in time.
Barcelona’s management had been pushing to finalise ‘Phase 1C’ of the ongoing Camp Nou renovation, which includes opening the Gol Nord stand and expanding capacity, aiming to create a more formidable atmosphere for a crucial cup tie in which they must overturn a first‑leg deficit.
The refusal underscores the challenges still facing the club as it balances major infrastructure upgrades with competitive demands, forcing Barça to confront one of Spanish football’s big nights without the full backing of its home crowd.
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