Tomorrow Athletic Club will say goodbye to the Mestalla, the oldest stadium in the First Division, after 100 games against Valencia. The event, which is held in the city of Turia, will be the last time that the red and whites play at the venue before Valencia moves to its new home, the Nou Mestalla, scheduled for next season.
The Mestalla, inaugurated on May 20, 1923, has been the scene of 91 League matches, 7 Cup matches and two Europa League matches (round of 16 in 2015-16). The Ches have dominated the statistics with 58 wins, 25 draws and only 17 Bilbao wins. Among the most memorable matches, Valencia won in 2009 thanks to the old rule of double value for goals in the opponent's field, although Athletic has managed to come back on several occasions in recent years. The red and white club has achieved five victories in its last ten games at Mestalla, including victories in 2022-23 (1-2) and 2025-26 (1-3), in addition to victories in the League in 2019-20 (0-2) and 2024-25 (0-1).
The move from Valencia to the Nou Mestalla has not been easy. The works began in 2007 but were paralyzed in 2009 due to lack of liquidity and the real estate crisis. Despite several attempts to resume construction, including the arrival of Peter Lim in 2014, work was finally resumed in January 2025. Completion of the stadium, with capacity for 70,044 spectators under cover, is expected to occur in the summer of 2027. The latest figures from the local press indicate that the total cost will exceed 250 million euros, with an increase of 20 million compared to initial forecasts.
Athletic and Valencia have shared the Mestalla in five of the last five editions of the Copa del Rey, with single-leg matches and a 2021-22 semi-final in which Athletic won in a double round. Although Athletic's overall balance at Mestalla is negative, the club has shown improvement in recent years, with five victories in the last ten games at the stadium. The next matchday will be the last opportunity for the red and whites to play at the Mestalla, unless a future match in the Cup crosses them again with Valencia in the Mediterranean.