While Celta face their European challenge, the workers working on the Balaídos goal stand are tackling the first phase of construction. At the same time, the club is working on getting the extra stand ready for the Europa League.

The old stand is gone, the new one is starting to grow

The last demolition works in Balaídos are behind us. With all the land ready for the construction itself, the piling of the foundations of the new Gol stand - the last one to be reconstructed - began. Once the pillars are installed, which will be between 6 and 12 metres long, the new stand will begin to grow upwards. The mayor of Vigo, Abel Caballero, has assured us that the works are going faster than expected.

The roadmap is clear: the structure of the new Gol stand, excluding the roof, should be ready in June 2026 so that Copasa workers can roof the stands and begin finishing work on the interiors. Thus, the new end should open in February 2027. Its capacity, around 7,000 people, will increase the number of seats of Estadio Abanca Balaídos to some 29,500.

© Miguel Ciołczyk Garcia | During the demolition there was a small accident, when a part of the old stand ripped off part of the Tribuna stand facade, a detail visible in the photo.

2025: Europa League, 2030: World Cup

But if Vigo is finally chosen to host the 2030 World Cup, to which Abel Caballero gives a 100% probability, the Tribuna stand would be rebuilt once again. The mayor compared its size after the work with the stands of the Camp Nou or the Bernabéu, as it would have to have around 20,000 seats, allowing the capacity of the stadium to be increased to about 41,000 spectators.

But while the City Council is focused on the World Cup, Celta is busy with another tournament: Europa League. The club has already taken the first steps to build the temporary stand, with four rows and 500 seats, which will increase the stadium's capacity to 22,900 fans while the work on Gol lasts. The intention is to have it certified for the continental competition, a difficult challenge as the UEFA does not usually allow the use of temporary structures. Even so, the mayor told us he is convinced that Celta will achieve it.

© Miguel Ciołczyk Garcia | The additional stand will be located in the Gol stand area.