When it was first opened in 1957, it held 93,053 spectators, which would be increased to 120,000 in 1982 on occasion of the FIFA World Cup. However, the total capacity has varied over the years owing to different modifications. With a capacity of 99,354, it is now the biggest stadium in Europe. In accordance with UEFA stipulations, the playing area has been downsized to 105 metres x 68 metres. The stadium’s maximum height is 48 metres, and it covers a surface area of 55,000 square metres (250 metres long and 220 metres wide). Of the 29,102 votes the club received, a total of 19,861 (68.25%) preferred Camp Nou to Estadi del FC Barcelona. It was not until the 2000/2001 season that, following a postal vote made by the Club membership, that the decision was made to make ‘Camp Nou’ the official name of the stadium. The whole project cost a staggering 288 million pesetas, which meant the club would spend the following years heavily in debt.Īlthough it was originally going to go under the official name of ‘Estadi del FC Barcelona’, it soon came to be popularly known as the 'Camp Nou' (the ‘new ground’), as opposed to the club’s old home at Les Corts.

The stadium was designed by architects Francesc Mitjans Miró and Josep Soteras Mauri, with the collaboration of Lorenzo García Barbón, and it was constructed between 19, using mainly concrete and iron. Barça's new stadium replaced their old ground of Les Corts which with a capacity of just 48,000 was too small to accomodate the interest generated by a team led by Hungarian star Ladislao Kubala.

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