Amid of Corona Virus Construction begins on world’s biggest soccer stadium for $1.7 billion

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China is building World’s largest soccer stadium. China’s football team Guangzhou Evergrande is building a 100,000 capacity stadium and construction amid of Corona Virus. Guangzhou Evergrande’s players and officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony at the stadium on Thursday.

The stadium, shaped like a lotus flower, will become the World’s most significant in football, beating Barcelona’s Camp Nou, which has 99,354 seats. Shanghai-based American designer Hasan Syed following an initial concept from the Evergrande Group chairman Xu Jiayin designs the Guangzhou stadium. Guangzhou is known as the “Flower City” and that inspires the design.

Guangzhou Evergrande, a member of the Chinese Football Association’s Chinese Super League, broke ground last week on the lotus-shaped stadium that will include 100,000 seats. Cost $1.7 billion (12 billion yuan) and to be completed by the end of 2022. Work began last Thursday. The stadium includes 16 VVIP private rooms, 152 VIP private rooms, a FIFA area, and athlete area, a media area, and a pressroom. Guangzhou is known as China’s ‘Flower City’, which is the inspiration behind the venue's elaborate orange petal-like exterior.

According to ESPN, Xia told reporters that Evergrande plans to construct between three and five more stadiums with capacities of 80,000 to 100,000 around China to address the lack of facilities that could host a World Cup someday.

Construction work on the project began shortly after China lifted social distancing restrictions in order to meet the 2022 completion date, as the stadium is intended to host events for the 2023 Asian Cup.

According to president of real estate conglomerate Evergrande, Xia Haijun Xia Haijun, statement said, the goal is to achieve a world-class new landmark comparable to the Sydney Opera House and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and an important symbol of Chinese football to the world.

Construction of the new stadium was recently launched with an official ceremony and the release of an animated video on how the space will look post-completion.