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 players of Málaga CF on a daily basis. Amongst other things, the stadium played host to World Cup matches in 1982. The last major modernisation took place between 2000 and 2006, when it was 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 expected to take two to three years to complete. During the works, the facility is expected to remain functional, although parts of the stands will have to be temporarily taken out of use. The modernisation is expected to cost between €70 million and €120 million. The costs will be split equally between the city, provincial and regional authorities, but a hotel chain that decides to participate in the project is also expected to contribute to the funding.

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 the bid, also joined by Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay, where one game each will be played at the start of the tournament.

The Malaga stadium is on the list of 15 pre-selected venues from Spain to host the championship matches, but this list will most likely be reduced to 10 or 11 (the final selection of venues is expected in the summer of 2024). Although the impetus for the extension of Estadio La Rosaleda was the prospect of hosting the World Cup matches, the initiators assure that the investment will be made regardless of whether Málaga falls as one of the host cities.