Since its inauguration in 1957, the Camp Nou has become the setting for memorable nights and the home of the best players in the world. 66 years later, this Sunday Barcelona will play its last game in the stadium before the remodeling begins. Thus, a stage full of historic nights that will remain forever in the Barça memory will come to a close.
Barça opened the Camp Nou on September 24, 1957 against a selection of players from Warsaw (Poland). The match ended with a 4-2 win for the Barcelona fans, and with 90,000 spectators, the maximum capacity at the beginning. Eulogio MartÃnez achieved the first goal in the history of the field.
Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the second leg of the round of 16 of the European Cup, current Champions League. It meant the first elimination of the white club in the competition, which had won the first five editions. Evaristo decided the match with a memorable header.
In his debut season, Johan Cruyff established himself as a Barça hero with an acrobatic shot that he stabbed with the sole of his boot. With an angelic plasticity, the nicknamed ‘flying Dutchman’ printed an eternal stamp for the imaginary culer, still not aware that they had before them who he would mark a before and after in the history of the club.
Ãngel ‘Pichi’ Alonso, a regular substitute, became the hero of one of the most memorable comebacks in the Culer feud, scoring a hat-trick. After the 3-0 defeat against Göteborg, Barça replied with the same score in the second leg, and qualified on penalties for the Champions Cup final, which they lost to Steaua Bucharest.
First league won by the ‘Dream Team’, consequence of Tenerife’s victory against Real Madrid on the last day. Barça, second in the standings, beat Athletic Club 2-0 and the Camp Nou exploded in jubilation after being crowned champion.
The following year the feat of Tenerife was repeated. The Catalans, who once again did not depend on themselves to be champions, did their homework at home (1-0) against Real Sociedad. For their part, Tenerife, led by Jorge Valdano, repeated their victory against Real Madrid and put the title on a platter for Barcelona.
The match between Barcelona and Valencia on the last day of the league gave the last ticket to play the Champions League the following season. Towards the end of the match, Rivaldo controlled a ball thrown by Frank de Boer with his chest and executed a bicycle kick from outside the box that left the entire stadium stunned.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira ‘Ronaldinho’ made his debut at 12 in the morning after Sevilla refused to advance the game one day, in what is known as ‘gazpacho night’. The day the Brazilian star appeared before his new audience, he received the ball, went out in slalom and from 25 meters away executed a violent blow that bounced off the crossbar and slipped into the goal. It was Ronaldinho’s first great night, but it wouldn’t be the last.
Leo Messi, still a teenager (17 years old), made his debut as a Barça goalscorer against Albacete. Ronaldinho sent a pass to the Argentine star, who stung a Vaseline that would become one of his hallmarks. That day, ‘the flea’ began the succession from him to the throne to ‘Ronnie’.
In the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, Leo Messi emulated the goal scored by his counterpart Diego Armando Maradona against England in the 1986 World Cup. Even with the ’19’ on his back, Leo got away from all the defenders and the goalkeeper rival with astonishing ability to achieve one of his most iconic goals as a Barça player.
Mourinho’s first visit to the Camp Nou as white coach. The team led by Guardiola culminated his masterpiece in one of the best games in Barcelona’s history.
Leo Messi became the first player in history to achieve 5 goals in the same game in the Champions League. He did it in the second leg of the round of 16 against Bayer Leverkusen.
Luis Enrique’s Barcelona achieved the greatest comeback in the history of the Champions League, after overcoming the 4-0 loss suffered in the first leg. Neymar Jr led one of the most famous nights at the Camp Nou and Sergi Roberto scored the goal of his life in discount to get through to the quarterfinals.
Barça recorded a world record for attendance at a women’s football match. 91,648 spectators vibrated with one of the best matches of Jonatan Giráldez’s team, who thrashed Wolfsburg (5-1) dazzling with his football and leaving his pass to the Champions League final on track.
The Spotify Camp Nou will close its doors just after the Mallorca game, a meeting that will mean the farewell in Barcelona for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, two of its all-time great players.
The new stadium would have to be ready before November 29, 2024, the date on which Barça will celebrate its 125th anniversary.
