The media are providing more and more details about the 2030 World Cup. However, in the privacy of the behind the scenes talks , there is a battle going on over which stadiums will host the games. One candidate among the less obvious venues is La Rosaleda, which new design is not only impressive but also presents an interesting paradox.

A mega-stadium for a third league club

In the early spring of 2023, Estudio Morph presented a project for the modernisation of Malaga's Estadio La Rosaleda, which won the approval of both the club and the city and regional authorities.The most important aim of the work, which will completely refresh the appearance of the venue, is to bring it into line with FIFA guidelines and make it one of the World’s Cup host stadiums.

It is paradoxical that the new La Rosaleda will have 45,000 seats, huge facilities and a modernist look, despite the fact that Malaga CF, which uses the stadium, plays in the Primera Federación, the Spanish third division. Thus, a third league team would have a facility better than most Primera División clubs.

It must be said, however, that despite the decline the club has suffered in recent years, it regularly records an average of 20,000 spectators per league game, and recently a record for the Spanish women's national team was broken at the stadium, with a match against Sweden witnessed by almost 16,000 spectators. The club is hoping for promotion to a higher tier of the competition, which will further improve ticket sales.

© Morph Estudio

Will Malaga host the World Cup?

According to a statement from the city authorities, even if Malaga is not selected as one of the hosts of the 2030 World Cup co-organised by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, the project to modernise La Rosaleda, valued between €70 and €110 million, will go ahead.

The Morph Studio’s design involves not only the addition of a third level of stands to increase the capacity of the venue by 10,000 standard and 5,000 VIP seats. The plans also include the addition of 5 000 parking spaces for cars, a lockable roof and the remodelling of the interior with improved access to each of the three floors.

© Morph Estudio

However, this is still not all. The Malaga authorities have set the goal of making the stadium a tourist attraction, earning money for its maintenance, the club and the city all year. For this reason, a hotel will be built into the stadium, as well as the 'Malaga X' zone, which is an entertainment and sports sector with restaurants, shops and clinics that will turn the venue into a key point on the city map.

And what are La Rosaleda's chances of becoming a championship stadium? According to media leaks, they are really high, as Spain will have around 10 tournament stadiums. Malaga's revamped venue is certain to become one of the top arenas not only in Spain, but also in Europe. At first sight, the city and club authorities have an easy task - they simply have to present the project well in the capital.