Fungus Damages Celta’s Pitch Days Before La Liga Kickoff

^{Current condition of Celta’s pitch}

The home pitch of Celta Vigo has been affected by a fungal infection, putting the club’s opening La Liga match against Osasuna at risk of postponement. La Voz de Galicia reported the development.

The match is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, at Balaídos Stadium in Vigo. La Liga representatives are expected to inspect the pitch and decide whether the game can be played as planned. Other options include moving the match to a later date or relocating it to another venue.

The fungus emerged on the pitch in recent days. The grass was treated, but the disease returned due to high temperatures, causing the condition of the surface to deteriorate.

Celta Vigo is in favor of postponing the match, while Osasuna would prefer to play according to schedule.

The club now plans to completely replace the pitch, but the work cannot be completed before Sunday. In addition, Celta’s reserve team, Celta Fortuna, is scheduled to play at Balaídos next week.

The surface was not fully replaced this summer. After the first team’s season ended, the stadium continued to host matches involving the reserve side as well as the Vigo Cup tournament, so the club opted only for restoration work. However, the combination of high temperatures and humidity proved too demanding for the pitch.

The workload on the field will be heavy in the new season: 44 matches are scheduled at Balaídos — 19 La Liga games, four Europa League fixtures and 21 matches involving Celta Fortuna. The club had the option to reschedule the Osasuna match even before the pitch problems emerged. Forward Borja Iglesias reached the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with Spain, which allowed Celta to request a later start to the season. However, the club decided against changing the date to avoid a more congested schedule later on.

Balaídos Stadium is also undergoing reconstruction as part of preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Once the work is completed, the venue’s capacity is expected to increase to 40,000–44,000 spectators.