Valencia's long-abandoned Nou Mestalla stadium will finally be completed in time for the 2027/28 season, allowing the club to host top-flight opponents including Barcelona and Real Madrid. Construction is set to resume after a 16-year halt, with the arena expected to hold just over 70,000 fans.
Two Decades of Delays
The project to replace Valencia's iconic Mestalla stadium began in 2007, when initial building work got underway. Much of the stadium's skeleton was constructed over the next two years before plans were put on hold due to financial difficulties affecting the club.
Valencia faced debts in excess of £350 million, meaning they could not afford to complete the project before the scheduled move-in date in the summer of 2009. For the next 16 years, the stadium remained abandoned with no sign of construction resuming.
Deal to Complete the Build
A deal has now been struck with Spanish firm FCC Construccion to finish building the arena, which is expected to hold just over 70,000 fans. This will make it the fourth-largest stadium in Spain, behind only the Nou Camp, the Santiago Bernabeu and the Metropolitano Stadium.
In a statement, Valencia said: "The Nou Mestalla is the most significant non-sporting project in Valencia CF's over century-long history. With a seating capacity of 70,044, it will be a state-of-the-art stadium capable of hosting top-tier FIFA and UEFA matches, as well as major events."
Future Plans and Current Challenges
The club added: "The new stadium will offer a diverse range of experiences that cater to all audiences and will be centrally located in Valencia, significantly impacting the lives of its citizens. It will provide year-round entertainment, featuring experiential restaurants, leisure activities, a megastore, a museum, and an auditorium."
Despite construction resuming, the new stadium has not been included as a host venue for the next World Cup, which will be held across Spain, Portugal and Morocco. It will only host La Liga matches next season if Valencia manage to secure their top-flight status, having made a poor start to the new campaign. The club have only claimed one victory in their opening seven games, leaving them second-bottom of the division ahead of newly-promoted Malaga.
