La Liga Stadiums: Four Insider Tipps for your Football trip

Spain's La Liga was the last of Europe's top five leagues to be completed. It wasn’t until June 21 that Real Oviedo secured promotion as the final team. The newcomer from the northwestern region of Asturias and its Nuevo Carlos Tartiere stadium remain something of a hidden gem among La Liga venues. A brief tour. 

It took 24 years for Real Oviedo to return to Spain’s top division. A 3–1 extra-time win over CD Mirandes (3–2 on aggregate) in the promotion final sealed the comeback. Oviedo were led in this crucial match by 40-year-old European champion Santi Cazorla.

Stadiums in Spain: Oviedo returns with a new arena

The Blue-and-Whites were given a hero’s welcome by their fans in Oviedo – and the moment went viral. “There’s no way to describe how this feels,” coach Veljko Paunovic told Reuters. “Every single one of my players is a hero.”

Well then, time for new heroes in Oviedo – in a new stadium. The Estadio Nuevo Carlos Tartiere, inaugurated on September 20, 2000, in a match against Partizan Belgrade, was just a year old when Oviedo were relegated from La Liga.

It replaced the old Carlos Tartiere stadium, which was demolished after 68 years of service and had been one of the 1982 World Cup venues in Spain. Among other matches, Austria played Algeria here (2–0). 

After the group stage of the World Cup, the stadium was not used in the knockout rounds.

For years, Oviedo – who were even forcibly relegated to the third tier (Tercera División) in 2002/2003 – played to many empty seats. That is likely to change with the new La Liga season.

Oviedo will play their first home game of the 2025/26 La Liga season on matchday two – against none other than Real Madrid.

La Liga hidden gems: Rayo Vallecano and one of the smallest venues

Another hidden gem, according to Spain-based author Dirk Segbers (Athletic Bilbao: Unique by principle, 2022), is the Estadio Municipal de Vallecas, home to Rayo Vallecano. 

It’s located about 11 kilometers south of Madrid’s football temple, Santiago Bernabéu, in the Vallecas neighborhood, and was inaugurated in 1976.
Having undergone several renovations, most recently in 2018, Rayo Vallecano’s stadium – with a capacity of 14,708 – is one of the smallest in La Liga. In the 2024/25 season, only the stadiums of Leganes and Girona were smaller. 

In 2025, Real Betis Sevilla reached a European final for the first time – but lost 1–4 to Chelsea FC in the Europa Conference League final in Wrocław.

The Estadio Benito Villamarín, home of Real Betis, may initially seem overshadowed by the Bernabéu, Camp Nou, or Atlético Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, but after its 2017 renovation, many have likely changed their minds when visiting Betis Sevilla. 

With the 2017/18 season, the stadium received new seating. The old white and green seats were replaced with ones in varying shades of green and a few white sections. A new stand increased Benito Villamarín’s capacity to over 60,000 seats. 

In fact, only two La Liga stadiums are larger – the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid and Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona. 

Thanks to a member vote in October 2010, the stadium reclaimed its historic name, Benito Villamarín, in honor of the club president who served from 1955 to 1965. 

World Cup stadiums in Spain: No new World Cup parties at Benito Villamarín

The stadium hosted 1982 World Cup matches. The tournament favorite Brazil played two group stage matches here. The “Seleção,” led by Zico (Arthur Antunes Coimbra), Socrates, and others, is still considered the best team never to win a World Cup. 

However, unlike in 1982, the Betis stadium is not among the preliminary venues for Spain’s 2030 centennial World Cup.

Football trips to Mallorca – A clever insider tip

A football trip to Mallorca offers several advantages. The benefits of a holiday on the Balearic Island – popular among both German and English tourists – can be combined with a visit to a La Liga match at RCD Mallorca. 

Event-Breaks.com offers tickets not only for the home matches of Betis Sevilla, but also for RCD Mallorca. 

So why not head to Mallorca for the start of the season on August 17 – and watch reigning Spanish champions FC Barcelona live? 

The Estadi Son Moix of Real Mallorca is definitely worth a visit. It's only a 20-minute drive from the party zone Platja de Palma.

In 2025, the stadium in the island’s capital, Palma de Mallorca, had a capacity of 23,000. After the current renovation phase, the distinctive athletics track will be removed, and all stands will be covered.