Estadio El Encanto – stadium description

How did the construction of the new stadium in Mazatlán proceed?

Construction of the new football-specific venue in the northern part of the city of Mazatlán began in 2017. The facility was built as part of a plan to improve the sports infrastructure in the state of Sinaloa. Originally, the stadium was supposed to be ready in just over a year, but the work took much longer than initially expected and the facility was not ready to open until the summer of 2020.

Who is playing in the new Mazatlán stadium?

One of the aims of the project was to establish a professional football team in Mazatlán, so the state authorities, together with a group of local businessmen, sought the relocation of any of the Mexican league teams. After negotiations, eventually the club Monarcas Morelia decided to move to Mazatlán. The team's name was also changed to Mazatlán FC. The relocation of a first-league club with a 70-year tradition to a city some 750 km to the north-west was met with much resentment from fans and reverberated throughout the country.

What does the new stadium in Mazatlán look like?

The stadium is partly dug into a pit. The pitch is surrounded on all sides by stands, which have two tiers on the west, north and east sides. From the outside, the stands are surrounded by a rounded membrane façade, with the upper part turning into a canopy covering part of the auditorium. The capacity of the venue is 25,000 spectators (including around 14,600 seats on the lower level and more than 9,000 on the upper tiers, as well as around 1,150 seats in 56 boxes and business areas), although it is limited to 20,195 seats for Mexican league matches.

When did use of the new stadium in Mazatlán begin?

The first league match at the new facility took place on July 27, 2020 (Mazatlán FC's loss to Club Puebla 1:4). Due to the restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this game took place without spectators. The first match with fan participation took place on 16 October 2020. The new stadium was given the nickname El Kraken.

In October 2023, Estadio de Mazatlán was renamed Estadio El Encanto under a sponsorship agreement with a local developer. The agreement was signed for five years.