The renovation of the stands and facade of Abanca Balaidos, which has been underway since 2015, is not yet over, but the mayor of Vigo has already announced another one. The city wants to compete to host the 2030 World Cup, but the investment seems risky, to say the least.

Instead of a refreshed image - endless problems

Celta de Vigo is known for its grand plans, great expectations of the fanbase and spectacular fiascos. New projects arise all the time, facing hundreds of obstacles just as quickly as new ideas appear. The best example is the renovation of Abanca Balaídos, the historic stadium where Celestes have played since 1928. You can see how the 94-year-old venue compares to other LaLiga arenas on our channel:

In 2015, mayor Abel Caballero, RC Celta and the province of Pontevedra announced the 'Stadium for the 21st century' project, involving the redevelopment of all four stands (Rio, Marcador, Gol and Tribuna) and a redesign of the building's exterior. The planned €30 million quickly grew to €50 million, with each phase proving more problematic than anticipated.

In 2022, after more than six years of work, only the Tribuna and Rio sections were given their new looks. In March 2023, the new Marcador opened, only for a “minor reform” to be announced in June due to construction errors. The Gol section is still waiting for a refresh, but neither the provincial council nor the mayor are willing to take responsibility for the delays.

© La Cámara del Celta

Another refurbishment announced before the end of the previous one

It is still unclear which company will reconstruct the Gol section, and mayor Abel Caballero has already announced another project aimed at becoming the host of the 2030 championships. With the confirmation that Galicia will have its own stadium at the World Cup, Deportivo La Coruña's Abanca-Riazor venue has become Balaidos’ only opponent.

Vigo has the advantage, due to its proximity to Portugal and better infrastructure, which does not change the fact that Balaidos does not meet FIFA requirements. Assuming work on the Gol section comes to a happy end, the venue will have around 32,000 seats. Such a result will fall far short of the 45,000 seats required.

However, Abel Caballero, known for his huge projects, has a solution: another Tribuna reform, raising the section to add 2,600 permanent and 10360 temporary seats. In addition, the pitch will have to be extended by a metre, parking spaces will have to be taken care of and changes in public transport will have to be planned.

© La Cámara del Celta

The project is impressive, but is it worth it?

Until recently, the capacity of Celta's stadium did not exceed 29,000 seats and regularly far less tickets were sold. This raises the question: is a 35,000-seats big stadium necessary? Balaidos will host a few matches in the group stage of the championship, and what next?

Until recently, it seemed that the project was reasonable. Brought to Vigo for three years, legendary coach Rafa Benitez was supposed to bring Celta back to the top Spanish teams. Fans dreamt of qualifying for European competitions on the club's centenary, however, the team is playing far below expectations and can potentially make Balaidos the best stadium in...the second division.

The regular floods that inundate the stadium every year and the club-city conflict that has led to threats to change the town and the team's name to Celta de Mos are not helpful. It's worth following the fate of Balaidos because, as so often in Celta's history, the project will either turn out to be a great win or a complete disaster.

© La Cámara del Celta