Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro

Estadio Municipal Álvarez Claro sits at the edge of Melilla, where the port meets the city proper.

The ground has survived since its opening in 1945, when construction began in earnest and finished within seven months. It was inaugurated by Rafael Álvarez Claro, who lent his name to the stadium and served as both mayor and club president. The original capacity once held 12,000 spectators, but modern safety standards and renovations have trimmed that figure to 6,512. The reduction came during extensive work completed around 2020, which prioritised accessibility over raw numbers.

What remains visible today is a structure that has been worked on piece by piece rather than rebuilt from scratch. UD Melilla has called this home since the beginning, with only a brief interruption between 1956 and 1976. The club has hosted some notable visitors over the years — Real Madrid, Athletic Club, Levante UD — and the crowd at the Copa del Rey match in November 2018 came close to the original capacity when 12,000 turned out to watch the visitors.

Spain's U-21 side played Estonia here in 2011, scoring six goals in a match that drew international attention to the small enclave. The pitch itself received a complete overhaul in September 2024, with new grass and irrigation replacing the worn surface.