We Got Invited to Spotify Camp Nou & Here's How It Went

Last month, I (Athenea, one of GIRLACTICO's social media journalists) had the incredible opportunity to visit Barcelona and play at the legendary Spotify Camp Nou, an experience I'll never forget. Just like so many football fans, Lionel Messi was a player I always idolised growing up and Alexia Putellas was one of the first players that made me fall in love with women’s football. So getting the chance to step foot on the same hallowed turf as them was an absolute honour.

As soon as I came out of the Barcelona Airport, the warmth of the sun immediately hit me for the first time in so many months (thanks to good old British weather) and I knew it’d be the perfect day to make my Spotify Camp Nou debut. 

I got a taxi to our hotel, which I later found out is where the Barcelona players stay before their home games! Once I checked in, I had a couple hours before I had to get match-ready. It was my first time in Barcelona, so I definitely wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to explore the city.

I headed straight for El Raval, a neighbourhood known for its vintage shops. Of course, I had to check out a vintage football shirt store which felt like an FC Barcelona time capsule, keeping the memories and names of players from decades past well and truly alive. There was also a humble selection of Real Madrid shirts hidden below, just as you’d expect from a Culer-run store. I roamed around a while longer, and the way the city lived and breathed for FC Barcelona was palpable. It made me all the more excited to get a taste of it myself later on.

Of course I had to get myself some pre-match fuel, so I settled in a little Spanish restaurant hidden in a narrow alleyway. And what was a trip to Spain without a taste of some authentic paella? 

I got back to the hotel: carb-loaded, fuelled by electrolytes and caffeine, and hair slicked back into an Ona Batlle-inspired plait. I was ready. I headed downstairs to meet with the rest of the group, who’d later become my teammates and opposition, and we were greeted by the Barcelona team bus.

In that moment, I had never felt more famous. I had been on team buses for away matches before, but this one had a kitchen and the Barcelona logo emblazoned on every seat. This was far from the Sunday League facilities I was accustomed to!

Once we got to the stadium, we were shown around and were given a presentation on all the amazing plans Barcelona had for Spotify Camp Nou. The stadium was still under construction but you could already sense how much more of a fortress it was soon to become.

We headed for the changing rooms, where a fresh Barcelona home kit was waiting for each of us. Once we were kitted up, we had a team talk with the Barcelona coaches who would be guiding us through the game. Most of my teammates were Spanish as well, and while that language barrier was tangible, we communicated about tactics through a combination of the phrases ‘Vamos!’, ‘Força Barça!’ and ‘Tiki-taka’. Our team was ready and raring to hit the pitch.

For a moment, I stood there taking it all in. I'd seen Spotify Camp Nou so many times on television, but standing in the middle of it felt completely different. It was hard not to imagine all the legendary players who had graced that pitch and all the history that had been made there.

The grass felt perfect under my boots and the Spanish sun lit up the pitch with just the right amount of warmth. It was already unbelievable when it was just a small group of us there. I couldn’t imagine how magical it would feel playing there with the stadium at full capacity.

After our warm-up, we headed back down the tunnel to do a proper walk-out just as the players would. When we got our cue, we marched through the tunnel and up the stairs, surrounded by cameras and music blasting through the stadium. We shook hands with our opponents and took a team photo, then it was time for the match.

I was starting on the left wing and given the amount of summer departures Barcelona were set to have, I was eager to demonstrate that I’d be a capable replacement if they were ever short on options. 

My team played some good football, perhaps not quite the level that Spotify Camp Nou was used to, but both teams scored some fantastic goals. With around twenty minutes left, I received a perfect through ball just inside the box. I knew I had to take my chance, so I slotted it into the bottom corner past the keeper. Hearing the celebrations and celebratory music echo around Spotify Camp Nou after scoring is a feeling I'll never forget.

After the match, we got changed and had some lovely post-match bites and drinks prepared for us by the club. We headed back to the hotel on the team bus for some well-deserved rest after an action-packed day.

Growing up, I’d always dreamed of becoming a professional player, but I never thought I’d get the chance to play at a stadium as legendary as the Spotify Camp Nou. To walk through the tunnel, wear the shirt and score a goal there is something I'll never forget!