Marbella’s New Football Stadium: A Potential Sub-Host for the 2030 World Cup
Marbella is set to welcome a new football stadium, complete with a high-performance centre, a hotel, and first-class facilities. The stadium is being designed with the intention of serving as a sub-host for the 2030 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
Project Details and Investment
The project, which is expected to cost between 114.3 million and 130 million euros, has already been made public. The Marbella FC Foundation will lease the 45,000 square metre land for the next 75 years. The winning bidder will be tasked with demolishing the old Antonio Lorenzo Cuevas stadium and constructing the new facility in its place. In exchange, the Marbella town hall will receive an annual fee of 221,510 euros.
Economic Impact and Job Creation
According to the project’s justification report, the new stadium is expected to generate an income of 9.8 million euros in the first year, increasing to 17.3 million euros from the fifth year onwards. The town hall estimates that the project will create between 1,600 and 2,300 new jobs and contribute between 36 and 50 million euros to the GDP, equivalent to 0.2 per cent of the entire province of Malaga.
Expansion of the Original Project
The approval of Marbella’s new urban planning regulations has allowed for the expansion of the original project. The new vision has broadened the range of possibilities and uses, and the investment has increased from the originally estimated 15 to 18 million euros to an additional one hundred million euros. The capacity of the stadium has also been increased from 8,000 to 10,000 people, in line with Fifa’s requirements.
Facilities and Services
The new infrastructure will feature a 90-room hotel for elite sportspeople and sports tourists, event rooms for up to 140 people, an exclusive restaurant in the penthouse, a lobby bar, a 1,000-space car park, a shopping area, and a 1,500-square-metre performance centre. The performance centre will be equipped with specialised facilities for high-performance sport, including massage rooms and other similar services.
Marbella FC’s Vision
Marbella FC has expressed its desire to build a stadium that caters to the needs of Marbella’s citizens, the club’s fans, and sports enthusiasts in general. The foundation has assured that the project’s profits will be invested in promoting grassroots sport in Marbella, enhancing the town’s tourism image, and developing programmes for young people at risk of social exclusion.
