Stunning 100,000-seater soccer stadium left to rot after £1.2billion design scrapped
A huge £1.2 billion stadium was left to rot for years after beginning construction work in 2020
The stadium has been under-construction since 2020(Image: Future Publishing via Getty Images)
A colossal £1.2 billion stadium in China, intended to overshadow Wembley Stadium and Barcelona’s Camp Nou, was left deserted for two years. Back in 2020, Guangzhou FC had ambitious plans to propel China’s football investment to new heights by funding one of the world’s largest stadiums.
The proposed 100,000-seat arena highlighted Guangzhou FC’s financial woes, as the club has since been expelled from Chinese professional football. The so-called Flower Stadium was set to be named after Guangzhou’s famous flower markets.
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Xia Haijun, president of property behemoth Evergrande, who owned China’s most successful club, confidently stated at the time: “Evergrande Stadium will become a new world-class landmark comparable to the Sydney Opera House and Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and an important symbol of Chinese football to the world. We hope the stadium will host the opening ceremony of the 2023 Asian Cup.”
A grand lotus flower structure, capable of changing colours, was envisioned to encircle the stadium bowl. However, this dream never came to fruition as scaffolding and cranes remained idle on the deserted site, with only the foundation and lower tier partially built.
Designs unveiled in 2020 depicted dramatic three-tiered stands with red seating towering above the pitch. The design’s pinnacle featured a wave-like motif, reminiscent of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
The plans also incorporated 168 VIP boxes and 16 VVIP boxes. The stadium was even slated to host matches at the 2022 Club World Cup.
Evergrande had also proposed building two more stadiums, each with a capacity of 80,000, in different regions of China, although exact locations were never revealed. However, construction came to an abrupt halt in 2022 when Guangzhou faced severe financial issues.
In the years after the stadium designs were released in 2020, Guangzhou’s owners plunged into deep financial crisis as their staggering debt reportedly hit £220bn. This threw both the club and their stadium into significant turmoil.
Evergrande, China’s largest property developers, stopped construction work in an attempt to cut debts. Guangzhou, whose squad has included former Tottenham midfielder Paulinho and ex-Porto striker Jackson Martinez, sold off numerous key players, contributing to their relegation in 2022.
In January 2025, Guangzhou were expelled from professional football and banned from participating in competitions by the Chinese FA. It marked a stunning fall from grace for the eight-time Chinese champions and two-time AFC Champions League victors.
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The plans for the Flower Stadium have been resurrected, albeit on a significantly smaller scale. The site was seized by the Chinese government and handed over to the state-owned Guangzhou City Construction Investment Group.
A considerably reduced 73,000-seat stadium is now under construction and the revised proposals for the stadium are expected to cost £253million, a full billion less than the original plan. Building work recommenced in 2024 and the stadium is slated for completion in 2026.
