Lamin Yamal Getty Images November 18, 2025, 9:26 p.m

Barcelona star winger Lamine Yamal fueled fans’ anticipation with an emotional message ahead of the team’s long-awaited return to Camp Nou.

On Saturday, the Catalans will host Athletic Bilbao – this will be the first match at the legendary arena since May 2023. The 18-year-old football player, who became the unofficial face of this historic event, changed his Instagram profile picture and published a powerful statement:

“Montjuic was the beginning. Camp Nou is where history will be written.”

Earlier this week, he also shared a photo of the renovated stadium with the caption:

“Special nights are coming.”

Yamal, who missed the national team due to treatment for an inguinal hernia, is expected to be in the squad for the weekend.

It is interesting that although Lamin already made his debut at the old Camp Nou in 2023 against Betis when he was only 15 years old, he returns there already in the status of a world superstar and a team leader.

Barcelona spent more than 900 days at the Olympic Stadium while extensive renovations were underway. The club finally received permission from the local authorities to hold matches. The capacity of the arena will be limited for now 45 401as construction work continues.

This return is iconic not only for fans, but for an entire generation of players. Barca’s current squad includes a number of players who have never played for the first team at the Camp Nou, including Dani Olmo, Fermin López, Marc Casado, Pau Kubarci and Marc Bernal.

The match against Athletic opens a series of important home matches. In addition to the La Liga games against Alaves and Atlético, the club is hoping to get UEFA permission to host the Champions League match against Eintracht on December 9 at its home arena as well.

The return home should be a powerful psychological boost for Hansi Flick’s team as they continue to fight for titles.