La Liga officials are preparing to conduct a pitch inspection at Celta Vigo's Estadio de Balaidos after a suspected fungus outbreak damaged the playing surface ahead of the new season's opening weekend.

Celta are scheduled to host Osasuna on Sunday evening — kick-off at 20:30 BST — in what would be their first match of the 2026-27 La Liga campaign. However, sources close to the league have told BBC Sport that officials plan to visit the 24,870-capacity stadium in Vigo within the next 24 hours to determine whether the fixture can proceed as planned.

Celta seek postponement, Osasuna willing to play

The pitch is reported to have suffered significant damage from a fungal infection, and Celta Vigo are understood to have formally requested that the match be postponed. Their opponents, Osasuna, are said to hold the opposite view — remaining open to playing the game on schedule.

Celta had initially been entitled to request a postponement on different grounds, after striker Borja Iglesias reached the World Cup final with Spain, but the club chose not to exercise that option at the time.

Stadium with World Cup history and future

The Estadio de Balaidos carries particular significance this summer. Spain used the ground to host a friendly against Iraq in June during their build-up to a successful FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, which they went on to win.

The stadium has been at the centre of long-running renovation works spanning more than a decade. Once complete, the arena's capacity is set to rise to between 40,000 and 44,000. Balaidos is also among the 11 Spanish venues earmarked to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.

Opening weekend disruption across La Liga

The uncertainty surrounding Celta versus Osasuna is not the only scheduling headache affecting La Liga's opening round. Three other fixtures — Valencia v Real Betis, Real Madrid v Real Sociedad, and Barcelona v Athletic Club — have all been moved to later dates in the month. Those postponements were triggered by clubs having players involved in the World Cup final.