Estadio La Rosaleda – design description

When was Estadio La Rosaleda extension project conceived?

Estadio La Rosaleda in Málaga was opened in 1941. The facility serves the club Málaga CF on a daily basis. Among other things, the stadium had the opportunity to host matches of the 1982 World Cup. Between 2000 and 2006, the facility was completely rebuilt, stand by stand.

Following Spain's candidature (along with Portugal and Morocco) to host the 2030 World Cup, the stadium's owners (who are the city, provincial and regional authorities) took the initiative to include the Malaga stadium in this candidature. On March 31, 2023, the concept for the expansion of the arena, which was created by architects from Morph Estudio, was officially presented at the city hall.

What does the Estadio La Rosaleda expansion concept entail?

As the stadium is too small in view of FIFA's requirements to host World Cup matches, the project involves increasing the capacity from the current ca. 30,000 to 45,000 spectators. The concept also calls for the demolition of the structures adjacent to the stands on the outside, the addition of a third tier to the stands, the creation of an attractive façade, the full roofing of the auditorium and the addition of an annex behind the north stand to replace the auxiliary pitch.

A hotel and commercial spaces are to be part of the project. The facility should be vibrant at all times so that it can generate revenue, or at least not make a loss. An interesting amenity is to be a promenade along the top of the stadium, available to the public on a daily basis. As part of the investment, revitalisation of the immediate surroundings is also planned.

The project is scheduled to begin in early 2025 and will take three years to complete. During the work, the facility is expected to remain functional, although parts of the stands will have to be temporarily taken out of service. The modernization is expected to cost €260 million. The costs were to be divided equally between the city, provincial and regional governments, but due to a significant increase over the original estimates, private shareholders, including a hotel chain, are also expected to participate in the project.

Will the extension of Estadio La Rosaleda bring Málaga the hosting of the World Cup?

On October 11, 2023, FIFA officially announced the choice of hosts for the 2030 World Cup, with Spain, Portugal and Morocco winning, also joined by Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, where one game each will be played at the start of the tournament. In July 2024, the stadiums where the tournament should be held were announced, and among the 11 venues from Spain was Estadio La Rosaleda from Málaga.