Mestalla Stadium

Mestalla Stadium (Spanish: Estadio de Mestalla [esˈtaðjo ðe mesˈtaʎa], Valencian: Estadi de Mestalla [esˈtaði ðe mesˈtaʎa]) is a football stadium in Valencia, Spain. The stadium is the home of Valencia CF and has a capacity of 49,430 seats, making it the 8th-largest stadium in Spain, and the largest in the Valencian Community. Opened on 20 May 1923, the stadium's name originates from the historic irrigation canal of Mestalla, which was developed and consolidated during the Moorish dynasty between the 10th and 11th centuries, and was originally outside the south stand of the stadium where it had to be jumped over in order to get to the ground. Since January 2020, it has been the oldest stadium in La Liga. Mestalla is considered one of the steepest stadiums in the world and is commonly recognized as the steepest in Europe. This characteristic places it above stadiums such as the San Siro (Milan), La Bombonera and Monumental (Buenos Aires), Maracanã (Rio de Janeiro), Signal Iduna Park (Dortmund), and Stamford Bridge (London). The highest tier reaches an incline of approximately 34–35 degrees, very close to the legal safety limit established by FIFA and UEFA (37°). The proximity of the spectators to the pitch also distinguishes it, as few stadiums offer such a close-up feeling. The Mestalla is a UEFA category four stadium. From its early years, the stadium has hosted matches of great international importance. In 1982, it hosted matches of the final stage of the FIFA World Cup in Spain, for which it was one of the seventeen venues. Subsequently, it hosted five matches of the Spanish Olympic Team during the 1992 Olympic Games. In 2025, it hosted the second leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals. It has been the venue for ten Copa del Rey finals.