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 Interactive map of Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero | |
| Former names | Nuevo Estadio del Elche C.F. (1976–1988) |
|---|---|
| Location | Elche,Spain |
| Coordinates | 38°16′01″N0°39′48″W / 38.26694°N 0.66333°W /38.26694; -0.66333 |
| Owner | Elche CF |
| Operator | Elche CF |
| Capacity | 31,388[1] |
| Field size | 108 metres (118 yd) x 70 metres (77 yd) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 8, 1976 |
| Architect | Juan Boix Matarredona |
| Tenants | |
| Elche CF (1976–present) Spain national football team (selected matches) | |
TheEstadio Martínez Valero is a stadium located in the Spanish city ofElche in theprovince of Alicante,Valencian Community. It is the home stadium ofElche CF, a team that is currently playing inPrimera División,LaLiga. Its name pays tribute to the late president of the club, Manuel Martínez Valero. It hosted the largest rout in the finals of a World Cup and hosted the final of the Copa del Rey in 2003. The Spanish football team has played several friendly matches and competitive qualifiers there. The stadium has the largest field dimensions in Europe.
With a capacity of 31,388 seats, Martínez Valero is the 15th-largest stadium in Spain and the 2nd-largest in theValencian community.
The Martínez Valero Stadium was inaugurated on 8 September 1976, replacing the formerCampo de Altabix, which was constructed in 1923. It was designed by the architect Juan Boix Matarredona, and is currently the largest sports arena in the province of Alicante. The inaugural match was Elche CF v. the Mexico national team, which ended in a 3–3 tie. Elche CF's goals were scored by Finarolli, Orellana and Gomez Voglino. It was one of 17 stadiums where matches took place in the1982 FIFA World Cup. On June 15, 1982, it was the venue asHungary achieved arecord winning margin inWorld Cup history, beatingEl Salvador by ascore of 10–1 before a crowd of 23,000. In addition, the Martínez Valero Stadium hosted the final of theCopa del Rey for the2002–03 season. It is listed by UEFA as afour-star UEFA Elite Stadium.
In the 2013–2014 season the stadium received the AFEPE (organization which unites fan clubs of all Spanish clubs) Award for BestLa Liga Stadium.[2]
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 February 1986 |  Belgium | 3–0 | Friendly match |
| 15 November 1995 |  Macedonia | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 10 September 2003 |  Ukraine | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 3 June 2006 |  Egypt | 2–0 | Friendly match |
| 26 March 2008 |  Italy | 1–0 | Friendly match |
| 11 September 2018 |  Croatia | 6–0 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League |
| 11 October 2025 |  Georgia | 2–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
The stadium was one of the venues of the1982 FIFA World Cup (known as theNuevo Estadio at the time of the tournament), and held the following matches:
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 June 1982 |  Hungary | 10–1 |  El Salvador | Group 3 (first round) | 23,000 |
| 19 June 1982 | Belgium | 1–0 | 15,000 | ||
| 22 June 1982 | 1–1 | Hungary | 37,000 |
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| History | |
| Home stadium |
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| Training ground | |
| Related articles | |
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1982 FIFA World Cup stadiums | ||
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Authority control databases: Geographic |
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