FC Barcelona’s planned Camp Nou columbarium can accommodate 26,000 people’s remains, with charges starting at £2,000 and rising to £8,700 for permanent placement and a dedicated plaque. The club says 1,000 die-hards have already reserved a place, providing early evidence of demand as the stadium rebuild carries a budget above £1.5bn.

Barcelona has framed the memorial as a way to help fund the rising cost of renovating Camp Nou. The commercial logic is straightforward: supporters can buy a 10-year, 50-year or permanent memorial, supplying a new funding stream for the project.

What does the memorial include?

The Memorial FC Barcelona will comprise a room inside the stadium with space for 26,000 people’s remains. The room will sit alongside a mural of key moments in the club’s storied history.

Columbarium prices start from £2,000 and follow three terms:

• £2,000 for 10 years
• £5,000 for 50 years
• £8,700 for permanent placement and your own plaque

Barcelona’s institutional vice-president Maria Elena Fort tied the appeal to her grandfather. Her grandfather died many years ago, and he said the only thing he wanted was “to be buried next to Barca’s pitch so that he could hear the goals go in during the afterlife.” She said: “Many fans dream of the same thing.”

Who can buy a tribute, and how?

Barcelona’s promotional materials state: “The Memorial was born with the aim to acknowledge that bond and provide a place to preserve the personal and family memories that are also part of blaugrana history.” Fans have two routes: placing a loved one’s ashes in the columbarium, or writing a name and message on a commemorative plaque inside the stadium.

Both options are open to supporters worldwide, and no club membership is required. Quique Montoya designs the columbarium, which is a collaboration between Barcelona and Mes Que Un Memorial.

Why is the revenue important to the rebuild?

Delays and rising costs have pushed Camp Nou’s budget to more than double its previous level, exceeding £1.5bn. Barcelona, the Spanish champions and one of football’s richest clubs, have returned to their world-famous home.

Capacity remains restricted while construction of the upper tier continues, and the club must move out again temporarily next season while the roof is installed. The completed stadium will hold 105,000 fans, making it the biggest in Europe.

The memorial therefore adds a revenue stream while Barcelona works through phased construction. That sequencing matters: supporter spending now helps finance a project that has already restricted capacity and requires another stadium move.

Which stadiums remain in the 2034 final race?

Completed Camp Nou is one of three candidates to stage the 2034 World Cup final, which is due to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium is another contender. The third is the Grand Stade Hassan II, under construction near Casablanca, with a planned world-record capacity of 115,000.

At 10,000 seats above Camp Nou’s eventual 105,000, the Casablanca project sets the direct capacity comparison. The final decision has aggravated tensions between Spain and Morocco. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, a Spanish prime ministerial hopeful, threatened to pull Spain out of hosting the tournament if the final went to its North African neighbour.

For Barcelona, the candidacy connects the completed stadium with a global final, while the political dispute clouds the tournament’s hosting arrangements. The memorial gives supporters worldwide a way to secure a lasting place at Camp Nou while contributing revenue toward the club’s £1.5bn-plus redevelopment.