Malaga’s La Rosaleda stadium selected as 2030 World Cup venue

Pending approval from FIFA, the stadium, which now must undergo renovations to increase its capacity to 45,000, will host group stage matches. It’s now official. La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga has been selected as one of the venues for the 2030 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on Thursday that Malaga CF’s ground, like it did in 1982, will host group stage matches in the competition, pending confirmation from FIFA, who will officially receive the proposal at the end of the month and ratify the choices at its General Assembly on 11 December.

Eleven host cities

Following the confirmation of Spain’s bid, 15 cities accelerated their preparations to secure a spot. However, the final decision was delayed by several months, complicated by internal issues within the Spanish Football Federation following the controversial departure of its president, Luis Rubiales.

Now, however, La Rosaleda is among the 11 Spanish host cities now chosen for the tournament. The others to make the cut are La Cartuja (Seville), Camp Nou (Barcelona), RCDE Stadium (Cornellà-El Prat, Barcelona), Gran Canaria (Las Palmas), Metropolitano (Madrid), Santiago Bernabéu (Madrid), Nueva Romareda (Zaragoza), Riazor (La Coruña), San Mamés (Bilbao) and Anoeta (San Sebastián).

The final selection excluded Valencia (Nuevo Mestalla), Vigo (Balaídos), Gijón (El Molinón) and Murcia (La Nueva Condomina), which were initially proposed by the government through the Higher Sports Council.

Malaga ticks all the boxes

This selection is a significant achievement for La Rosaleda’s owners (the Junta de Andalucía regional government, Malaga city council and the Diputación provincial authority) who have worked towards this goal for years.

When considering all proposals, La Rosaleda’s ambitious plan met all the required criteria from the outset, including an expansion to a 45,000-seat capacity, exceeding FIFA’s requirement of 40,000 seats for group-stage matches.

The city also boasts ample hotel capacity, excellent transportation links and necessary infrastructure for such a major event.

Ambitious renovation

Now, the next phase is a complete stadium renovation to be completed by the end of 2028. Work is set to begin by 2025, with urgent bureaucratic processes already under way and permits expected soon.

The planned upgrades aim to transform La Rosaleda into a futuristic facility and a city landmark. The renovation includes adding a third tier to increase capacity and incorporating leisure facilities and parking spaces.

The project is estimated to cost over 200 million euros, potentially rising to 300 million if a retractable roof and pitch are included.

In a bid to attract private investors, the city has launched a tender for an in-depth study to assess the stadium’s potential in all aspects, aiming to provide precise information to secure financial collaborations for the ambitious project.

‘The city is ready’

Malaga mayor Francisco de la Torre expressed his satisfaction at the news, saying, “It’s great news for Malaga and its football fans. It also brings a responsibility to prepare our stadium. The city is ready, and we will ensure La Rosaleda meets all requirements.”

For his part, Francisco Salado, president of the Diputación provincial authority, added, “Malaga will once again be part of World Cup history”, before also congratulating Marbella and Estepona for being named as sub-venues.

The two Malaga towns are among 45 host municipalities across the country that will be home to the various nation’s delegations during the competition, and where training and where media duties will take place.